


His Irish Angel Part 6: Eye of the Storm

by DavinaCFox



Series: His Irish Angel [6]
Category: Gotham (TV), Would You Rather (2012)
Genre: Anal Sex, Bisexual Oswald Cobblepot, Bondage, Dark Jeremiah Velaska, Dreams and Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Fear, Guns, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Masturbation, Medical Kink, Multi, Oral Sex, Revenge, Sex Toys, Shooting Guns, Stabbing, Stalking, Threesome - F/F/M, Threesome - F/M/M, True Love, Unplanned Pregnancy, Wheelchair Sex, dominant oswald cobblepot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-01-31 12:54:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 116,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21446530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DavinaCFox/pseuds/DavinaCFox
Summary: Oswald and Molly's sex life becomes more thrilling as they share intimate times with Julian. Then Oswald worries Molly's sanity is slipping when she claims to have seen Jeremiah Valeska on the grounds of the mansion.  But their daughter Luna has made friends with a clown with a funny face – who is not an imaginary friend, who plans to take revenge on Oswald and his family. As Jeremiah's stalking becomes more terrifying, proving he is real seems impossible as no one believes Molly, who can't forget the events of ten years before when Jeremiah almost killed her husband.While this is happening, Ivy Pepper is arrested and held in Arkham as Oswald must decide whether to risk the underworld - GCPD alliance and help her, or to do nothing, to keep the governance of the city secure, as Josh and Selina beg him to intervene. Oswald is distracted by the difficult political situation regarding Poison Ivy, but then news reaches him that Ed Nygma has been abducted – as he and Molly are faced with the terrifying realisation that her nightmare was a warning – Jeremiah Velaska is alive, and is coming for their family...
Relationships: Edward Nygma/Leslie Thompkins, Edward Nygma/Original Female Character(s), Oswald Cobblepot/Female OC/Julian Lambrick, Selina Kyle/Original Male Character/Ivy Pepper, Victor Zsasz/Original Female Character(s)
Series: His Irish Angel [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1531589
Comments: 39
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BraveVesperia01](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BraveVesperia01/gifts).

> Author Note:  
Hello again readers!  
A quick warning:  
This fic contains scenes of violence, nightmares and a very dark and sinister older version of Jeremiah. Not for those of a nervous disposition/clown phobics etc.

Chapter 1

The last gasp of winter was giving way to springtime, but the breeze was still chilly as Oswald Cobblepot stood by the car parked around the back of River's clinic. He cut a chubby but dashing figure in his dark suit as his long coat trimmed with black feathers got ruffled by the breeze. He checked his watch and looked to the doorway, deciding against going in, because this was routine, River had said she wanted to check on Julian every six months for the next two years, purely to evaluate his progress. River was still hoping he would improve, but Julian had been the same since the end of summer last year – he could walk a very short distance, he could handle stairs with help, not that he needed to use the stairs, not since Oswald had paid out to have an elevator fitted beside the staircase... Julian was in his chair most of the time. That was how it was going to stay, and he was used to that now.

Oswald had wanted to go in there with him, but Julian had insisted he would be fine. Since their relationship had changed and they had grown closer, Oswald was fully aware he had grown more protective of Julian, and times like this worried him even though there was no reason to worry – purely because being here brought back memories of times he wished he could forget after the battle with Bane...

Then the door opened up and Julian left the building as he glanced up at River and thanked her, then said he would be fine, and he wheeled his chair over to the car. River had smiled at her Dad before she left, and for him that was a sure sign everything was okay.

“I take it all is well?” Oswald asked as he helped Julian from his chair and into the car.

“_No, it's not.”_

Oswald stood there, his hand on the open car door as he stared at Julian.

“What?” he said as his voice trembled.

Julian put on his seat belt then paused, turning his head away to hide the amusement on his face...

“It wasn't good news, Oswald... River said I won't live much longer...” then he looked around at Oswald as amusement danced in his eyes.

“_...Unless Molly sucks my cock!”_

Julian laughed, then he stopped laughing as he saw Oswald blink back tears.

“It was a_ joke_, Oswald! I'm fine, absolutely fine! River said I don't need any more appointments. And yes I will be in this chair forever, but I am cured and in good health... It was a joke, Oswald, _don't_ look at me like that!”

Oswald leaned in the car, placing a hand on Julian's seat as he looked angrily into the eyes of his wife's lover, their other partner – who clearly didn't realise just how upsetting that_ joke_ had been...

“Understand this,” Oswald said harshly as he placed a hand on his cheek, “Long before I realised exactly what you meant to Molly and I, we watched you go through hell. We almost lost you more than once. I ought to punish you for this! _Never_ joke about dying, Julian!”

As he looked into Oswald's eyes he briefly froze, seeing anger there the which he could only compare to still waters that ran to an unknown depth... in that moment he realised there was far more to Oswald than the warm family man he had grown to love...And clearly, now their relationship had changed, this was Oswald the lover, a soft and gentle man to his wife but certainly far less so when it came to men who touched his heart...

“I'm sorry,” he said.

The anger fade from Oswald's eyes. He ran his hand over Julian's hair, now grown back and silky soft as he swept his touch over it.

“So you should be!” Oswald said sharply, then he got out of the car and began to fold up Julian's chair as he sat in the passenger seat, feeling more than a little guilty. Julian said no more on the subject as he waited. Then Oswald got into the car, started it up and they drove away from the clinic.

“So, what are you going to do to me, I'd like a punishment... _if_ it's nice...”

Oswald kept his eyes on the road. It had been several months since their conversation about role playing in the bondage room. He had been waiting for Julian to recover from the surgery, since the day his sexual function had returned, Molly had enjoyed the times she had aroused him and brought him to climax, and sometimes, he liked to watch. Sometimes, he held Julian and spoke to him softly, encouraging his orgasm. He needed that, a little extra turn on of having them both present. How he was now, was permanent. He would never walk far or unaided, and it seemed he would always need the kinks in the bedroom more than ever, too...

“I'm still deciding on that,” Oswald replied, “But you can be sure I will be _very_ good at giving you what you need. I know how to be dominant. I used to do it to Ed many years ago,” he chuckled, “Ed used to say I took it a bit far sometimes... but he did like to be overpowered and for me to be very commanding...apparently I was a little too good at it!”

Julian felt a flicker of arousal.

“I'm looking forward to it.”

“Oh, so am I!” Oswald replied, smiling as he kept his sights on the road and they headed for home.

Back at the mansion, Penguin had been up for several hours. He had waddled about the kitchen, enjoying making pancakes for the kids. Molly was still asleep. Oswald had told him to leave her to sleep, because Julian had an appointment early that morning at the clinic, and he was driving him there, and Molly had been tired lately and Oswald wanted her to rest. Penguin watched as Cain helped Felix with his breakfast, then Luna got up and returned to the table and cleaned up some spilled milk.

“I can do that,” Penguin reminded her.

Luna wagged her finger at him, in that moment looking more like a miniature Fish than a small Oswald, “No, no,” she said, “You're too clumsy with your flippers!”

Penguin smiled kindly at her.

“Yes, little Luna, I must confess they can be clumsy sometimes. But I wouldn't want fingers.”

“Why?” she asked as she looked puzzled.

Penguin smiled broadly as opened and closed his flippers.

“Because I've never had fingers! I wouldn't know how to use them!”

Luna laughed and so did Cain.

“Can we play outside?” Luna asked.

“Only if you stay in the back garden, and you put your coat on,” Penguin told her, “Your Father said you have to wrap up warm because it's still chilly out there.”

Luna left the room to grab her coat.

“I'm watching TV,” said Cain, “It's too cold for the garden.”

Then he left the table.

Penguin smiled back at Felix as he grabbed a wet wipe and cleaned his little hands for him.

“I wish I had a little kid just like you,” he said with a broad smile, then he gave a sigh as he thought about that wish, “But, it will probably not happen. I'm yet to meet a girl who likes flippers...”

Then he got up from the table, lifted Felix into his arms and waddled off to the front room to watch TV with Cain.

Luna had put on her coat. It was padded and had fluffy gold trim around the collar. It had been a present from Fish Mommy, and it was very warm, certainly warm enough to keep out the chill of the early spring air. She ran across the lawn, then took the path that led around to the orchard where leaves were already green. It wouldn't be too long before Mommy let her pick some apples to make a pie... Luna walked along the path, passing the trees and then looking back at the house. Penguin had told her not to leave the back garden. But she was a little far from the house now...

_Then she saw it._

Luna blinked, her eyes going wide at the sight of a small bunch of colourful balloons hovering part concealed behind a clump of trees. She stepped closer, wondering how they got there.

“_Hello, hello! You must be Luna!”_

She gave a gasp, rooted to the spot at the sight of the man in the colourful clothing and purple coat who had just stepped out from behind the tree. His face was painted. There was an odd look about his too bright eyes and his face was weathered beneath the grease paint. _His face looked funny_. Not funny like a clown should look, more like... out of shape. Burned, or swollen...

“It's okay!” he said with a smile, “I'm a clown, I won't hurt you. Clowns make people happy.”

He smiled.

His eyes still looked too bright, an odd colour, and his smile seemed... not quite right. But maybe he couldn't help the way he looked, she decided. Maybe he had disability. Like Daddy with his limp and her big brother Julian, with his wheelchair, and her new big brother Penguin with his flipper hands...

Then Luna thought about how her parents had told her not to talk to strangers. But she also remembered no one was _ever_ allowed on the estate without permission. That was why Daddy had bodyguards who carried guns...

“How did you get in here?” she asked, taking a small step back.

“Through the gate!” he smiled again, “Don't be afraid of me, little Luna! I'm a magic clown! I can come and go whenever I wish!”

Luna thought for a moment.

“Are you like Flossie?”

The question had him confused.

“Um... Why would I be like Flossie?”

“Because she's my imaginary unicorn, I can see her in my mind when I pretend I have a unicorn... but no one else can see her.”

Jeremiah Velaska stood there, a smile spreading slowly across his face.

“Little children are _so_ good at explaining everything!” he said, gesturing towards her with a sweep of his gloved hand as balloons bobbed, “Here, take this!”

His other hand had been behind his back. He whipped it forward and Luna laughed as he handed her a bouquet of colourful paper flowers.

“I have something else for you,” he told her, and hurried off, his shoulders slightly hunched, then he reached behind the tree and picked up a red tin box.

“What is it?” Luna asked.

He walked back over to her, holding the box in his hand, as she looked at it in fascination.

“You can have this if you agree to be my friend, and do something very special for me.”

“Like what?” she asked, still unsure about the odd looking clown.

“I used to live in the city many years ago,” he told her, “And then something... unfortunate happened. I had to leave. And I remember your father very well! All I want is for you to meet with me sometimes, and tell me all about your family. Can you do that, Luna?”

She frowned.

“But why don't you just ask them instead?”

The wind blew on his ragged green hair as he leaned closer, the box held out in the flat of his palm.

“There would be no fun in that! I want to surprise them! Now, do you want my gift, or not?”

He smiled again.

She studied the box. It was metal and slightly rusted, painted red with a button on the front.

“What does it do?” she asked.

Jeremiah pressed the button. The lid stayed on, but a tune began to play. It tinkled old and tinny, to the tune of Pop goes the Weasel. He smiled and she did too as he looked to the lid and back to Luna. The tune ended and the lid sprang back and a faded clown head popped up, smiling with a colourful face.

Luna laughed.

“I like it! I like clowns too!”

“You can keep it,” he told her, pushing the head back down and closing the lid then placing the toy in her hands.

“Thank you!” Luna smiled up at him, “What's your name?”

Jeremiah smiled back at the child, then he started to giggle.

“As absurd as it may sound, it's been so long since I was asked that question, I've forgotten!”

Luna's eyes shaded with sadness as the breeze blew back her dark hair.

“That's sad,” she said, “no one should forget their own name. I know, I have an idea – I'll give you a name!”

“And what shall it be?” Jeremiah asked, giggling again as he looked at Luna, the kid who was so easy to manipulate, who would be so free with information about his enemy...

“Giggles,” she said, “Your name is Mr Giggles the clown because you always giggle!”

“I like it!” Jeremiah said with a big smile that showed every crease in a face that hadn't been right since a fight with the Bat had sent him into a vat of chemicals. Batman had kept that quiet, not wanting to seem like a brute for being the cause of such horrific injuries – and then he had taken him to Arkham, who had held him for a brief while, until his escape. They were so ashamed they had let the notorious bomber Jeremiah Valeska run free that the whole incident was hushed up. And no one knew he was still alive, not the GCPD or the underworld, or Oswald Cobblepot, and now - ten years on from their first clash, Jeremiah was back. He had a score to settle in blood and this time, he would wipe out the Cobblepot family and those they held dear... it would a spectacular return to glory... _That was the plan..._

Jeremiah's smile faded.

“You're my _only_ friend.”

Luna's face reflected sadness.

“Why is that?” she asked.

“People don't like the way I look,” he said, indicating to his face, “They fear me. That's why its hard for me to be a good clown and make people laugh. You probably won't want to see me again. It's okay. I'm used to it...” he paused, feigning sadness as he slyly recalled how Julian Cobblepot had been forced to leave his government position after brain surgery had left him in a wheelchair, and then of course there was Oswald with his crippled leg...

“It's not easy, having a disability,” he added.

Luna blinked away tears as she stepped closer and patted his gloved hand.

“It's okay, I like you. It's not your fault you're different. I'll be your friend.”

Jeremiah smiled brightly.

“That's wonderful! And you will meet with me again tomorrow, so we can talk? You'll tell me all about your family?”

She nodded.

“Thank you so much!” he said warmly, “I want to surprise your parents when I see them, by telling them I know everything about them and what they've been up to since I've been away! I can just imagine the looks on their faces!And now I must go. But if you come here again tomorrow morning, you'll see me, but no one else will - I'm your imaginary friend!”

Then he laughed again, turned around and ran off into the woodland. Curiosity led her to follow as far as the edge of the path, but on looking beyond the apple trees she was puzzled to see no sign of Mr Giggles...

“Where did you go?” she wondered, then she looked down at the jack in the box and smiled. She couldn't wait to show Mommy her new toy...

Molly had slept in late.

She was dreaming about being a kid again, out on the driveway of her friend's house as she and another girl held the rope and Molly jumped it. They were singing a song, and it sounded slower than it should as their voices rang out on the summer air:

_'Half a pound of tuppenny rice,_  
_Half a pound of treacle._  
_Mix it up and make it nice.._.'

Molly stopped skipping as her friends dropped the rope. There was a shadow looming behind her...

Molly turned around and looked up as Jeremiah Velaska leaned over her.

“_Pop goes the weasel!” He said, and laughed like a maniac as she screamed..._

Molly gave a gasp and snapped her eyes open.

Jeremiah's face loomed in colourful and painted as she lay in her bed and she gave a cry of alarm.

“_Mommy? Don't you like it?”_ asked Luna.

Molly blinked. She drew in a breath and sat up, pushing damp hair from her eyes as sweat ran down her back beneath her t shirt. She looked at Luna, who was holding an old tin box. She looked again at the clown face:

_Not Jeremiah. _

_Of course not. _

_Just a feckin' Jack in the box with a bloody clown inside..._

“Where did you get that? And don't do that again, Luna. You made me jump. I don't like clowns.”

She got out of bed feeling weary, then slightly sick. The feeling subsided as Luna pushed the clown head back into the box and closed the lid.

“I can't say, he wants it to be a surprise.”

“Who does?” she asked.

Luna looked up at her and smiled.

“My new friend. He gave me a toy.”

Molly felt confused. She glanced at the time. It was just gone nine fifteen. Oswald and Julian would be back from the appointment soon.

Luna looked down at the box.

“But he said it's a surprise.”

“Who are you talking about?”

Luna paused, trying to think of the best way to explain. It was the first time an imaginary friend had given her a real toy to keep. But Molly suddenly drew in a sharp gasp as she placed her hands on her shoulders and gently but quickly moved her aside.

“Out the way, love...”

She dashed to the bathroom, fell to her knees and pushed the lid up so fast it connected with porcelain with a sharp crack. Then Molly grabbed at the seat, aware that she was violently throwing up into the toilet as her baffled daughter looked on. When she finally stopped gagging, she wiped her mouth and flushed and then went over to the sink, washing her mouth out, then splashing her face with water.

“Are you sick, Mommy?” asked Luna as she looked on, worried as Molly grabbed a towel and dried her face.

Molly took a deep breath. That sudden urge to vomit was gone, and so was the tiredness she had woken up to.

“No... must be something I ate,” she said, “Or maybe I had a bug... but I feel fine now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Molly replied, forcing a smile, “Now go and take your toy downstairs, I need a shower.”

“Okay, I'll tell you about Mr Giggles later.”

“Who's Mr Giggles?” Molly asked.

Luna smiled.

“_The man who gave me the jack in the box. I met him in the garden, by the apple trees. He's a clown and he has a funny face.”_

Molly's blood ran cold.

She leaned towards her daughter, placing her hands on her shoulders.

“Did he touch you, did he hurt you?”

Luna shook her head.

“No, Mommy, he's my friend!”

“No he's not...”

Molly felt a flash of panic. The word _clown_ had brought Jeremiah to mind, more than ever after that dream and then waking up to the clown face grinning at her.. but he was dead, everyone said so... Molly went back to the bedroom and picked up her phone, making a call to security.

“Check for an intruder near the orchard,” she said, “Luna said a man spoke to her... a man who looked like a clown....”

As she ended the call, Luna was still standing there. Molly was drenched in sweat and still had the taste of vomit in her mouth.

“Go downstairs and tell Penguin what you saw. And_ don't _go outside! No one goes outside!” she said, “Do you understand me, you have to stay in the house!”

Luna nodded, then, still clutching the jack in the box, she ran off to tell Penguin and Cain about her new friend who, for some reason, frightened her Mommy very much...

Molly grabbed a shower and brushed her teeth in record time, her hair was still wet as she quickly dressed and then hurried downstairs to see Oswald in the hallway. He was talking to a security guard as Julian sat in his wheelchair close by.

“Sir, we searched everywhere,” the guard was saying, “Your wife said your daughter spoke to a man with a clown face, but no one has been in or out of here. The fences are secure, the gates are locked and patrolled. We did a sweep of the woods, there was nothing.”

“Thank you,” Oswald said, “Please remain vigilant.”

As the guard left and Oswald closed the door, he looked alarmed as he shot a glance to Molly.

“What the hell happened here? Luna was spoken to by a stranger?”

“She said he had a clown face, and he wanted to be her friend. He gave a her an old jack in the box... it's got a clown inside it...”

Molly's face had paled.

Julian turned his chair around and briefly squeezed her hand.

“Molly,” he said, “This place is the Cobblepot family home, the estate of the head of the Gotham Underworld – it's secure as Fort Knox! I think maybe you should speak to Luna again, maybe you got it wrong. Security have guards and cameras around the walls and fences – no one came in or out, unless they were a ghost!”

That word gave her a jolt.

“_Oswald... what if it was Jeremiah?”_

He stared at her in disbelief.

“Molly, how many times do I have to remind you the last time we saw him, was the day I put lead in his guts and we left him to crawl for a door as the building went up! He _didn't_ get out!”

“They never found a body.”

“He's dead,” Oswald said again, “And I'm sure there's another explanation for this.”

He heard Penguin's gruff voice coming from the kitchen as he said, _“If some creep has got on to this land, I'll gut him like a fish! I love this family, my family. I'll defend you all...”_

Oswald limped off in the direction of the kitchen as Molly turned back to Julian.

“He was real!” she insisted, “He gave her the toy, how else would she have a jack in the box? We don't own anything like that, she got it from somewhere!”

Julian reached for her hand, holding it gently as he looked up at her.

“I know what you're thinking, he had a clown face, so you're thinking, it's Velaska. Molly, I sometimes have bad dreams about Ashecliffe. When I wake up, I think I'm still incarcerated. Then I remember I'm here, and I'm safe. I know what Jeremiah did. He nearly killed Oswald. And you've never forgotten that. But he's dead, Oswald is very sure of it.”

“I wish I could be sure,” Molly said quietly.

Julian smiled, hoping his news would ease her fears.

“By the way, it was good news today – I'm in good shape, I'm healthy and there's no reasons why I wont stay that way. River said this is as good as it will ever get, but I think I can still improve a little bit, she seems to think not. Only time will tell if I'm right or wrong.”

“I'm glad you're okay,” she said, and briefly hugged him.

Then she blinked, hit by a sudden thought.

“I'll be back in a minute!” she added, and hurried off up the stairs.

In the kitchen, Oswald had told Penguin to put down the big, sharp knife he was polishing as he looked to the gardens with a menacing glare.

“We don't know what's happening, it could be a misunderstanding!” he reminded him sharply, then as Penguin set the knife back on the chopping block, he turned to Luna.

“I have had my staff search the grounds,” Oswald told her, limping closer as he looked down at his daughter, “And they have assured me no one has been in or out of here! We have guards and cameras, Luna. Now, tell me again about Mr Giggles.”

Luna stood there looking up at her Daddy. The box was on the table behind her and she glanced back at it, then looked up at him again.

“Mr Giggles is a clown. He's lonely and needs a friend. No one likes him because he has a funny face, he said he has a disability. He said I'm his only friend.”

Oswald looked intently at her.

“You know we've warned you about strangers. Did he try and touch you or grab you or -”

“No, Daddy, he's nice!”

Oswald gave a sigh of impatience. If this guy had ill intent toward his daughter, he would be found, shot dead and floating in the Gotham river by nightfall...

“Where is he from?”

“I think he's from the city.”

“What does he look like, is he young, old?”

“I think he's older but he has a funny face.”

“Do you mean a clown face?” Oswald asked.

“Yes, but his face is_ funny_.”

Oswald gave another weary sigh. She was six years old and this was difficult. She knew they had armed guards, but she didn't know what head of the underworld meant, or why they needed such heavy protection from possible enemies...

“What else did he tell you about himself?” he asked her.

Luna paused for thought, then she remembered.

“He said he's invisible to everyone else, I'm the only person who can see him because he's my imaginary friend!”

She smiled up at Oswald, who pinched the bridge of his nose, as _Thank Christ for that_, ran through his head, then he drew in a breath, forcing a smile as he looked at his daughter.

“I see. Thank you for that insight, my dear...”

Oswald turned away, whipping out his phone as he called security once more.

“This is Oswald, I have an update. The clown is Luna's latest imaginary friend. Apologies for the false alarm.”

Just as he ended the call Molly hurried into the kitchen. Julian had just wheeled his chair through the door as he called to her again. He had seen what was in her hand, and wanted to stop her.

“Molly, don't do this, _don't_ show her that!”

“I have to, I need to be sure,” she replied, then as Oswald stared at her in disbelief, she placed a hand on Luna's shoulder, thrusting a picture in her face. It was an old photograph from a news article about Jeremiah Velaska, and in the picture, he was young and handsome with face paint and an elegant suit.

“Is this Mr Giggles? Is it, Luna? Look hard, _think!_”

Luna looked at the picture of the young man with a normal face and make up that didn't look at all_ clowny_ to her...

“No, Mommy,” she said, “That's not him, Mr Giggles has a _funny_ face!”

Oswald snatched the picture from Molly and stuffed it into his pocket.

“And Mr Giggles,” he said as he looked at her angrily, “Is also an _imaginary_ friend. She just told us! You didn't have to shove a picture of Velaska in her face!”

Felix called_ Mommy_ from the next room as he put down his sippy cup.

“I'll go,” offered Penguin, and he waddled quickly out of the room.

Cain was sitting at the table. He looked from Oswald to Molly.

“I was in the house the whole time. Luna went out to play on her own and came back with that stupid old box.”

Oswald smiled kindly at his son.

“It's not a stupid old box,” he said, and he pressed the button on the front of it as an old mechanism wound up and that tune began to play as Molly gave a shiver, reminded of her nightmare.

“Cain,” Oswald said to his son, “I'm pretty sure your sister found this in the orchard. My father used to spend a lot of time there when he was a boy....” the tune stopped and the clown popped up as Oswald looked at it fondly, “I think this was probably a toy that belonged to your late grandfather Elijah,” he concluded. Then he shut the lid, locking the clown inside it. Molly gave another shiver, feeling sure it would be a long while before she could shrug off her fears. Today had brought so much back, too sharply...

The rest of the weekend went by uneventfully. It had rained on Sunday, and Molly had kept the kids in, thankful they were not outside and in the reaches of clown faced men, even if they were imaginary. Monday morning started off in the usual way, Molly took the oldest kids to school, then Penguin took Felix to the park because the weather had brightened up. Since living here with his new family, Penguin had grown in confidence, now he drove alone to the park, and he didn't care if people stared at his odd appearance, although Oswald had reminded him, _What the fuck are you looking at?_ wasn't a polite response to the curious...

Now the three of them had the house all to themselves for a couple of hours, and it was enough time... Oswald had put the clown incident behind them, keen to move on from it and get back to normal. That meant moving on with a plan to surprise Julian, a plan Molly was _very_ excited about...

Julian didn't know much about it. He knew he was in for a thrill as he lay naked on the table in the playroom and Molly spread his legs before securing his wrists with leather restraints. She had put on a short nurses uniform that zipped up in the front, and she had barely zipped it at all...As he lay there, she paused to get him in position with leg rests that were padded and gave him the security of knowing he wouldn't slip off the table. It also left him on his back with his legs open and he couldn't move if he wanted to. He was already hard, as he closed his eyes the smell of the disinfectant Molly had washed the floor with reminded him of the asylum. She understood after five years of torture in that place, he needed to replay this, in his own way, but knowing he was safe to do so. And he felt his cock growing reassuringly harder as she stroked his bare skin, then applied lube to her gloved hand.

“It's time for your therapy, Julian,” she said softly, and as her hand closed about his cock, he had no fears of losing his erection as she slowly and carefully slid her hand up and down his hardness, taking care not to go too fast, because he didn't have the self control that he used to have, sometimes he came too quickly, other times, he struggled to get there.

_But Molly knew today would be different..._

He was lying there on the table, giving a sigh of bliss as he enjoyed the feel of her stimulation. Then the door opened. He heard the sound of expensive shoes and the tap of a cane, and suddenly Oswald was standing there at the table as Molly let go and drew her hand back.

“Are you enjoying your therapy, Mr Lambrick?” he asked coldly, placing the handle of his cane beneath Julian's chin, forcing him to raise his head and look up at him.

“Yes Oswald...”

“Yes, Doctor Cobblepot,” Oswald corrected him as he drew the cane away and set it aside, “Or sir. You may call me sir if you wish.”

Molly stood there feeling her arousal soaring. Seeing Oswald like this with another man was a huge turn on. And he was so dominant, too... She had never realised he would enjoy this so much. Oswald's eyes were glazed with desire as he looked down at Julian, pausing to look up and down his naked body.

“Very nice...” he said, running a fingertip down his chest as Julian shivered beneath his touch, as if Oswald was capable of conducting pure electricity.

Molly looked on, spellbound as she watched Oswald, seeing a new and arousing side of him as he dominated another man with great ease and enthusiasm as she wondered, had he done this kind of stuff to Ed years ago? He certainly seemed to know what he was doing...

Oswald turned to a trolley next to the table and paused to try a couple of vibrators, he turned them on and off and then selected another, then he set it aside, speaking to Julian as he began to load up an applicator with lube.

“Are you scared, Mr Lambrick?” he asked, using that same dominant tone.

Julian was tensing against his restraints.

“No...” he said breathlessly as he watched Oswald loading up the lube.

“You should be worried,_ very_ worried,” Oswald continued, _“I run this asylum, you're my prisoner and my patient. And after you've come, I have plans for you...”_

He looked coldly into Julian's eyes.

“_Oh fuck, yes...”_ Julian whispered.

Oswald inserted the applicator and Molly looked on, her jaw dropping as he expertly shot a hell of a lot of lube into his ass.

“Oswald...” she whispered, and she slid her hand up her dress, pushing it upwards as her fingers slipped inside. She was wet and swollen up and as she started to rub, Oswald glanced at her.

“No, I forbid it! We have a patient to attend to!” he said sharply.

Molly's legs felt like jelly as she stopped touching herself and joined him at the table. Oswald paused to turn on the vibrator, turning it up to the strongest setting, then he handed it to her.

“You know where this goes.”

Julian's legs were shaking as she slid the toy inside as he gave a moan. His cock was solid and as she started to slide the vibrator in and out, Oswald briefly covered her hand, changing the angle of the toy as he gave it a thrust.

“Like_ this_,” he told her, and Julian trembled as he gave a cry of pleasure.

Molly kept up the movement, in awe of this knowledge Oswald was revealing. She felt as if her bisexual husband possessed some kind of hidden power she had never seen before...

As Molly worked on Julian, Oswald limped to the other end of the table, a smile on his face as he looked down at him, then as desire darkened his eyes he leaned in, pausing to stroke Julian's hair from his brow.

“_Enjoy it, Mr Lambrick. Torture awaits you after this. I just want to observe your sexual function, before we take the experiment further...” _

He briefly pinched his nipple sharply as Julian gave a gasp, looking up at Oswald as if he was some kind of a god whose will depended on his next orgasm entirely. Molly was still moving that vibrator in and out, in the slow, firm rhythm Oswald had showed her. Julian was shaking and breaking into a sweat. Oswald leaned closer, his breath warm on his face as he spoke in a low voice.

“_After you've come, I'm going to take you into the surgical room. And you can scream and no one will listen... you're my lab rat, Julian...”_

He drew in a sharp breath as something took over from his arousal.

“_No!”_

In his mind, a flash of the past hit him, he was tied to a bed in the asylum as he screamed for them to let him go... Oswald was still on a high from the dominance, playing on the root of Julian's kinks, not realising he just taken it way over the line as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“_You have lovely hair, Mr Lambrick. But we're going to shave that off. You might feel a small incision before you lose consciousness but you will be asleep by the time we slice into your brain -”_

“_NO!”_

Julian fought against the restraints, as leather bit at his wrists.

“_NO! LET ME GO, FUCK OFF!” _Julian gave a sob as terror reflected in his eyes and tears streaked his face.

Molly drew the vibrator out.

“_Stop it, Oswald!”_

Oswald looked genuinely stunned as Julian sobbed heavily, his eyes filled with terror as he relived his trauma in the asylum.

“What did I do?” Oswald said in genuine dismay.

“_You went too far!”_

“But he likes to relive his trauma -”

“_Not like that!”_ Molly said sharply.

Oswald realised his mistake at once, cradling Julian's face in his hands.

“_Shh,”_ he said gently,_ “Please, no more tears. I am a little out of practise, it's been a long time since I dominated another man... It's okay, you're safe, I'm so sorry,_ _sweet Julian... I went too far. That was my fault... Sorry...” _he kissed his tears away, stroked his hair, said sorry again.

Julian's tears stopped as he looked up at Oswald.

“Maybe we should stop,” Molly suggested.

“No, no, he's okay... Are you okay, Julian? Do you want to carry on?”

“Yes, Oswald,” Julian whispered.

“I will be far more gentle, I promise,” Oswald told him, “Is that what you want?”

“Okay...” Julian agreed, and Molly looked on, again surprised at how Oswald had pulled back from his mistake and calmed Julian so easily. He was still hard, and Oswald cautiously took on the dominant tone again as he placed his hand above his cock, stroking his smooth groin as he spoke once more.

“Nothing bad will happen to you, Mr Lambrick. Do you understand that?”

Julian nodded, looking down at his cock and then up at Oswald pleadingly.

“Yes, I know, you need to come,” Oswald said soothingly, and he took hold of Julian's cock as Molly watched. She had never seen her husband touch another man before, but he certainly knew what he was doing.

“_You're my favourite patient, Julian,”_ Oswald said, letting a little warmth creep into his voice, _“And I know what you need. I think this is the perfect therapy for you...”_ he jerked his cock roughly.

“_You can come now,”_ he whispered.

“_Thank you!”_ Julian gasped, as his cock throbbed and come spurted out. Julian gave a weak cry as he experienced an orgasm far stronger than he thought possible since the surgery, but clearly, Oswald's touch had some magic in it... Molly looked on as Oswald grabbed wet wipes and cleaned him up, then he pushed the trolley aside and glanced at her.

“Release him now,” he said, and as she opened up the restraints and lowered his legs, Oswald leaned over him again, stroking his cheek as he looked into his eyes.

“I do apologise for being so brutal... I can be a bit of a monster when dominating gentleman. The last thing I ever want to do is make you cry. I'm sorry, forgive me, sweet Julian.”

“It's okay, it was good, Oswald...”

Julian put his arms around him, giving him a hug. As he let go, Molly's jaw dropped at the sight of Oswald claiming Julian's mouth with a rough and hungry kiss. Julian closed his eyes, his fingertips digging into Oswald's jacket as they kissed, clearly, he was enjoying every minute of this. Then Oswald drew back and smiled down at him as Julian gazed up in awe of Oswald, who had just unleashed a very potent hidden side indeed.

“I love you,” Oswald told him, “And I will never, _ever_ harm you. And I promise, next time I will be more gentle with my words.”

It was a short distance from the playroom and into the bedroom. Oswald and Molly put Julian to bed on Oswald's orders as he held on to his dominant persona, then as he folded down the covers and paused to fondly stroke his hair, Oswald spoke again.

“You can rest now, while I speak to nurse Molly in the treatment room. I'll leave the door open...”

Oswald limped back into the next room and looked to Molly.

“Get in here and strip,” he said sharply, “It's time to treat you for your sex addiction, Miss MacQueen!”

Julian turned on his side, getting comfortable as he started to smile, watching Molly strip off her clothing. She laid back on the table as Oswald closed the restraints about her wrists.

“I can see at a glance you're aroused,” Oswald said, “_So_ swollen down there, Molly... I think I know what has to be done about_ that_... _Do you like that, Molly, is it helping, you brazen hussy?_”

“_Yes!”_ she gasped, thrusting her hips forward against his touch.

Oswald rubbed quickly and firmly, setting her sex ablaze with a throb that sent orgasm rushing through her body as she cried out.

“_That's what bad girls get!” _he said, pressing down on her throbbing core as she gave another moan, then he grabbed at his clothing, freeing the bulge in his pants that had been noticeable since he had first laid hands on Julian. He showed no mercy, thrusting in hard with a single stroke. As their bodies connected Molly gasped with every thrust.

“_You filthy whore!”_ he gasped, his dominance sliding away as orgasm tugged at his mind and body, _“My slut wife... Oh, god, Molly! Fuck, yes!”_

He trembled and clung to the table, momentarily weakened by the heavy climax that made him break into a breathless sweat. Then he stayed inside her as they shared a kiss.

“_I love you, my dear,”_ he whispered.

“_I love you too, Oswald.”_

Molly ran her fingers through his hair as they shared a kiss, then he drew back and separated from her. As he tidied his clothing, he looked down at her, legs open and still aroused.

“That is a lovely sight,” he remarked fondly, “And I haven't seen you so horny and swollen up down there for a long while!” he laughed, shaking his head “If I didn't know better, I'd think you might be pregnant!”

Then as she sat up and got off the table, he limped out of the room. Molly cleaned up then tidied the playroom ready for next time. She could hear Oswald and Julian talking in the next room as Julian assured her husband he was okay, and Oswald said again that next time, he would choose his words more carefully. Molly left the room and locked the door, then she paused to hug the two men in her life before heading off for a shower.

And now she was alone, worry nagged at her mind :

_Oswald had said, she could be pregnant._

_He was joking._

_But she had just realised he might be right._

A quick calculation of a missed period and certain dates were adding up. By the time Molly was in the shower, she was worried sick:

_Yes, she might be pregnant._

_And if she was, the baby was Julian's...  
_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_Come on._

_Just bloody change._

_Show me the words Not Pregnant._

As that thought ran through Molly's head, she stood alone in the bedroom with the test in her hand, she hadn't dared to look yet. She wanted to wait, to be sure, to see it stated clearly that she was not pregnant. Her gaze shifted to the picture next to the bed, of her and Oswald and baby Felix.

_We have three kids... Cain, Luna and Felix. Luna isn't mine, not biologically. but I carried her and I'm raising her and she sees Fish every weekend... We have three kids. That's enough. And Oswald... Oh god, what would he say? _

She gave a heavy sigh as she stood by the window, looking down at the garden below. Penguin stood small and broad, bundled up in a long winter coat watching Felix as he toddled about the garden, pausing to touch leaves and flowers that looked bright under spring time sunshine. Oswald had taken Luna and Cain to school. She thought back to earlier that morning, waking in Oswald's arms. They had been tender that morning, as she showered his body with kisses and called him her chubby Penguin as she kissed every battle scar on his body. He had been happy to let her take over, lying back and watching as she masturbated him to climax...

Molly was almost eight weeks late.

Over the past few weeks, Oswald's leg had been painful. A few weeks back, this had affected their sex life. He had laid back and let her do all the work in bed. She had sucked him and jerked him and he had talked her to orgasm just like he always did. But actual sex would have been too much for his leg and so that had been put on hold for a while. He had watched from the doorway as Molly gave Julian a bath, liking the way Julian got so excited so quickly knowing they were both in the room while he was naked and vulnerable and aroused. But the only man she had made love to in that time, apart from today, had been Julian:

_Oswald had told him, if he felt able to make love, to use condoms. Julian had got suddenly hard, certainly hard enough to have sex one evening after Molly had put_ _him to bed and he had pleaded with her to make the most of this... She had climbed on top. He had been emotional, so thrilled that he was about to make love again. It hadn't lasted long, less than a minute. He had cried, thinking it was a one off, that this would never happen again. He had written off everything below the waist as useless... But he had managed to go all the way._

“_Molly....” Julian had said breathlessly, “I'm coming...”_

“_Okay, we should stop now... I'll suck you off.”_

“_No, I'll pull out, I'm okay...”_

_Well, he had said he would pull out in time. But Julian had little control since the surgery, and as he looked into her eyes, he hit his peak sharply and unexpectedly, pumping hot and fast inside her._

“_Sorry,” he panted as she got up, “I''ll be more careful next time."_

“_We should have used condoms,” Molly reminded him._

“_I ran out,” Julian said apologetically..._

_That had been the only time he had reached orgasm, it had not happened again for weeks, and when it did, he had been in the bath, crying tears of joy as she stimulated him and Oswald spoke words of encouragement...Now, clearly, he was improving a little more. He could get hard and reach orgasm often, although sometimes, it was still a struggle. But she had not expected this to happen...._

Molly thought about the possibility of a baby once again as she stood there in her room summoning the courage to check that test. When River had treated him for the damage done in the asylum, that first treatment had saved his life, but at a cost. It had affected him in many ways – including his fertility. River had said, he wouldn't be able to start a family without fertility treatment because his sperm count was low. It wasn't impossible for him to father a child, but it wasn't likely...

“_You're just late, Molly,”_ she said aloud,_ “Of course you are. You're thirty eight years old, you're not as fertile as you used to be... think about this logically...”_

Then she heard Julian call her. She gave a sigh, leaving the test in her pocket as she left the bedroom and headed for the stairs. Julian was at the bottom, in his chair looking up.

“Can you help me up the stairs?”

“Why did Oswald even bother having an elevator installed? It's there to make your life easier, Julian!”

“I know, but I like to try the stairs sometimes, I'm not giving up, Molly. I think I might still see some improvement.”

Molly went down the stairs, joined him then began to push his chair towards the elevator.

“Not today, save your strength!”

“I wanted to take the stairs.”

“And I want you to take things easy,” she reminded him, leaning closer and kissing his cheek. Now he had a smile on his face and as she pulled back the antique looking metal grill and wheeled him inside, she paused to close it and hit the button for the first floor. It glided smoothly upward, stopped and Molly opened up the grill once more.

“This is a nice elevator. It looks as old as the house.”

“But I still want to try the stairs sometimes, even if I need help with it,” Julian said, then they exchanged a smile and he wheeled his chair off towards his bedroom.

Molly looked to the stairs and decided she would take the elevator again, purely because it looked old and elegant and Oswald had spent a lot of money having it installed – along with a ramp next to the front door, and a hand rail. He had also had some of the doorways widened – it had been a lot of work, having these alterations made and keeping the mansion's features intact – but he had done it for Julian.

Molly got into the elevator and hit the down button. As it began to move, she caught the first view of the tiled floor below.

_And a flash of purple from his jacket as Jeremiah Velaska walked past._

Molly gave a gasp as she stared in horror. The elevator was almost there now, about to touch the ground floor. It reached the bottom and stopped, and she stood there, peering out with wide eyes...

_I know I saw him_, ran through her mind,_ Where is the fucker?_

_Where did he go?_

_He's in the house!_

_He's in this fucking house with my family..._

She pulled back the door and stepped out, pausing to close the door behind her before turning around, looking about the hallway again. Something moved at the end of the corridor. It looked grey and shrouded in shadow. Molly set her sights on it, taking the turn that led straight to that shadowy corner. It wouldn't be in shadow if the doors were open, but today they were not. Here, one room led to the study and another to the dining room...It was on her mind that she was missing her loaded Desert Eagle. It was upstairs, and she needed it. One bullet in that bastard and everyone would know her theory was correct...

“_Molly...”_ he whispered, and his voice echoed about the hallway.

“_MOLLY!”_

Now it was much louder and the end of the hallway was empty. She spun around sharply, staring in horror at Jeremiah Valeska, standing at the top of the stairs. And he looked young and handsome as ever as he smiled and blew her a kiss....

“You haven't changed...” she whispered bitterly as she walked on legs that felt like jelly and looked up the stairway.

Jeremiah smiled down.

“Not a day older than when we last met... I haven't come here to fight, Molly. I've come to return something.”

He stepped back from the top of the stairs.

Anger shone in Molly's eyes as she began to climb the stairs. She didn't know who the older clown with the funny face was, but it wasn't Velaska. _HERE_ was Velaska, still young, still flawless as ever...

_How could that be?_ She didn't know the answer, but she did know she had kicked the living shite out of him once and helped Oswald fill his guts with lead on another occasion, and if he thought he was going to come in here and bring his creepy old clown mate with him to scare her family, the fucker had another thing coming...

He went into the spare room at the top of the stairs and left the door ajar.

“_You fucker, I'll kill you!” _she raged through gritted teeth as fury blazed in her eyes.

Every muscle was tense, she was ready to go into the room she shared with Oswald and grab that high-powered handgun and go back to Jeremiah and blow another hole in that piece of shit, one that would put him out of action forever... But she couldn't turn her back on him for a moment. He was three doors away from Julian's room, and Julian didn't own a gun, he wouldn't be able to defend himself... She had to face this head on, using her fists before Velaska went down, then she would kick him till he stopped moving. _Then _she would go and fetch her gun...

Molly slowly pushed the door open, staring at the sight of Jeremiah, young as ever and flawless save for the fact that he was standing against the wall inside an open body bag. He unbuttoned his jacket and then as his shirt soaked with blood, he tugged it open, smiling as he displayed a bloody gunshot wound to his guts.

“I think this belongs to your husband!” he said with a giggle.

Then to Molly's horror, he stuck his hand deep into the wound, pulling out a blood covered bullet. He raised it to his lips and licked it as blood dripped to the floor in loud, heavy splashes.

Molly screamed.

She turned for the door and ran, smacking her hand against a panic button set on the wall to alert security.

She looked back.

The door was open. Jeremiah was nowhere to be seen...

Just then Julian pushed his chair out of his room and joined her, as she pointed to the spare room.

“Velaska's in there... he's dead but he's in there...”

“_What the fuck?” _Julian exclaimed.

Security staff were running up the stairs. Penguin had waddled to the bottom of the stairway telling Felix No, He couldn't go up there, the emergency alarm had been pressed...

“What the hell is going on?” she heard Oswald say,then he gave a hiss of pain as his leg ached and he limped quickly up the stairs to join his guards at the top.

“He's in there,” Molly said quietly, indicating to the spare room, “Jeremiah Velaska!”

Two armed staff went in, guns at the ready. Molly waited, hearing nothing but the guards searching the room, then opening a window, looking out and closing it again.

“Nothing here, Mr Penguin, sir,” one called back.

Oswald stared at Molly.

“_Velaska?”_

Molly nodded.

“_I know what I saw, Oswald, he was standing up against a wall, dripping his blood on the floor!”_

Oswald limped to the doorway and looked in at the polished wooden floor and the rug that bore no stains.

“There is no trace of blood in this room, Molly,” he told her, and as she joined him, she stared at the lack of evidence as she wondered if she was going insane.

“Now tell me,” Oswald said, trying to be patient as he turned to her, “What did he look like?”

“Like the old picture I showed Luna.”

“That's not possible,” Oswald reminded her, “That was a picture from more than twenty years back at the start of his rise to notoriety! And there is _no_ blood in that room. Molly, you didn't see Valeska.”

“_But I did, Oswald! He was standing in a body bag and he stuck his hands in his guts and pulled out the bullet you put there!”_

Oswald was staring at her. Molly fell silent.

“Molly, that sounds crazy,” Julian said cautiously, “Are you sure you're not getting so worked up over Luna and that imaginary clown – who was nothing like the guy you're describing - do you think maybe stress is getting to you?”

She looked sharply at Julian. Oswald's back was turned, he was speaking to security staff in that same apologetic tone he had used with them over Luna, then they left and went back downstairs.

Molly's hand was shaking as she reached into her pocket.

“Maybe... it could be stress. I know the Velaska thing affected me badly, maybe that's why...”

As she blinked back tears, she looked at the result as Julian and Oswald stood there. Oswald had seen it first and his jaw dropped.

“Is that a...” Julian said no more, staring that the pregnancy test that Molly was looking at.

She kept looking at it.

_Looking didn't change the result._

_It said, Pregnant._

“I'm sorry love,” she said tearfully as she handed the test to Oswald, “I know you told us to be careful...We had one accident and I didn't think it could happen, with his fertility issue and me being close to forty... I'm very sure it's his...”

She looked to Julian. His face had paled as he stared at her.

“That... that's _my_ baby?” his voice choked as he blinked away tears, “I'm sorry... Molly, Oswald, I'm _so_ sorry...”

“That certainly explains your stress levels going through the roof. And a baby by Julian was _not_ what we planned, Molly.”

Oswald handed the result to Julian, who stared at it and kept on staring.

“But River said I was highly unlikely to father a child, not after all the chemicals she pumped into me to save me when I came out of the asylum,” Julian told him, “I didn't think it could happen!”

Oswald looked to Molly.

“It was when he got suddenly excited and he couldn't hold back,” Molly said, “I know when and I know it was the only time I had sex all those weeks ago, You've been laid up with your leg. The dates add up - Oswald, I'm sorry.”

He looked from Julian to Molly.

“As River was the one who treated Julian, it's River you need to see, Molly,” he told her, “There could be a risk of birth defect if the chemicals have affected Julian so drastically. We need to know if this child will have difficulties, so we can be ready to accommodate that.”

Molly stared at him.

“You want me to tell River?”

“Yes, because she knows all the answers here and we don't, and we can't just guess the outcome. We all want what's best for our little miracle.”

Oswald started to smile. Ever since the three of them had got closer, he had always allowed for the fact that if this situation arose, he would need to know in advance how to react. And his reaction to the news that Julian, with his damaged fertility, had made this miraculous baby with Molly, was one of pure joy. It had just sunk in as they looked at Oswald. _Yes, he wanted to keep the baby._

“You're sure about the baby?”

Julian had sounded so nervous as he asked that question. Oswald looked at him kindly as he leaned over his chair and gave him a tight hug.

“It's_ our_ baby,” he said softly, “And this little one is a miracle! Of course I don't mind!”

Julian was weeping softly as he clung to him. Oswald spoke kindly, patting his back as he eased his fears. Then he let go of Julian and turned back to Molly.

“You're not angry?” she said in surprise.

Oswald smiled proudly.

“Of course not! That child is a true miracle! Now, in the morning, the three of us will go and visit River at the clinic. This means my daughter will have to know about our arrangement – but she is the only person who can answer our questions.”

Molly and Julian smiled as they exchanged a glance. Then Oswald hugged Molly tightly, as she wept tears of relief.

“Once River has laid your fears to rest, perhaps there will be no more of this imagined threat from Jeremiah,” Oswald told her as he pulled back, pausing to stroke her hair as love shone in his gaze, “And please, I don't want to hear any more apology for this! It's a baby, Molly!” he glanced to Julian, “A child conceived against the odds. A very special gift to us all. I'm glad you now have the chance to be a father. We can only hope this child grows up to have the same kind of courage and strength as you, sweet Julian. On the day our relationship was blessed, the three of us were joined forever. Our relationship was consecrated. This baby is a gift to all three of us.”

Julian could barely speak as he blinked away tears and joy shone in his gaze.

“Thanks, Oswald,” he whispered.

“And you need to lie down and rest,” Oswald insisted as he put an arm around his wife, “No wonder your mind has been playing tricks on you – first you worried you were pregnant, then with Luna making up stories about clowns, I'm not surprised your mind played tricks on you. But it all stops now, your worries are over, my dear.”

“And mine,” Julian said with a smile. It was still sinking in, against the odds, he had fathered a child.

“And I want you to go and lie down too!” Oswald insisted, “This is wonderful news, Julian, but I don't want you to make yourself tired. Go and rest, I'll escort Molly to bed. I'm sure we will find there is nothing to worry about with this little one, once we have spoken to River.”

As Molly headed back to the bedroom with Oswald's arm around her, she felt a flicker of worry:

_Oswald wanted to talk to River about the baby?_

_He was going to tell her about their three way relationship?_

_She really didn't know how River would react to that news..._

Across town, Selina Kyle was standing at the riverside watching the water flow by. Josh knew what she was thinking, she had that far away look in her eyes as she thought of someone who was missing from their lives. Someone they both missed – but Selina, with her long history with Ivy Pepper, missed her sharply, deeply... This wasn't how Josh had expected their walk by the water to turn out on his day off work. But lately, Selina had been quiet, lost in thoughts she didn't share. He understood. It had been months since Ivy had left, and still they had not heard from her...

“I think she's done it again,” Selina said as Josh stood behind her and put his arms around her.

The wind blew across the river, shifting the curls that framed Selina's face as she looked to the water sadly and spoke again.

“I should have known better. She left me once, she's done it again.”

“She had no choice back then,” Josh reminded her, “She was taken prisoner, forced to work on the clone experiment.”

Selina frowned as she thought about it.

“But why did she stay all that time? She could have killed everyone in that building much sooner and got away. Why did she wait?”

“Because she felt sorry for that little boy, Penguin was a tiny child, she wanted to save him.”

“But why didn't she leave before the experiment had a chance to take off? Why didn't she destroy the experiment at the very start, before it turned into Penguin? Then she could have escaped. I don't understand why she waited around for weeks like she did. It doesn't make sense.”

As she said that, she turned around, facing Josh as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Ivy could have done this differently, Josh. I don't understand why she waited like that. It makes no sense.”

“I guess only Ivy knows that answer,” Josh replied, “And she will be in touch. Give her time, she's on the run, she has to be sure she's safe before she contacts us.”

The look in her eyes changed as warmth crept in and she smiled.

“You're probably right... And I've wasted so much time today, complaining about Ivy... It's time to put that right.”

Josh smiled too as she climbed with ease to a low wall, then reached between her legs, opening up a concealed zip.

He looked down at the sight of her exposed and swore the breeze was carrying her scent to him, and the heat of it as she opened her legs and pulled him closer.

“Let's see if your little cock can fill this hole!” she whispered in his ear.

Josh laughed, blushing as he looked about. This part of the river front was deserted, but he couldn't be sure cars wouldn't pass by, or people, unexpectedly.

“Hurry up!” Selina urged, sliding her hand through his hair and giving a tug, “Before that cold breeze kills your hard on... come on little cock, be useful!”

Josh freed his erection, holding her close. To those passing by at a distance on the nearby road, it looked as if she was on the wall as he had leaned in close to kiss her. He was inside her now. Warm and tightly trapped within her walls as she reached around, slid her hand down his pants and playfully scratched at his ass. That made him thrust harder as she gasped, then she laughed as a boat passed by on the river. Josh was blushing furiously and she gave his cock a hard squeeze with toned muscles as she thrust against him. He fucked her harder, daring to thrust in and out hard and fast, it gave them a few minutes of real risk of being seen, but as Selina threw her head back and reached her peak, Josh lost control too, throbbing inside her as the river ran calm and flat a short distance away and the breeze that passed across it kissed their faces. He separated from her quickly and tidied his clothing and as she got down from the wall she laughed to see him nervously glance about, seeing no one watching.

“You could have waited until we got back in the car!” he said.

“Where's the fun in that?” Selina replied, then she put her arm around him and they headed back to the car. And Josh didn't complain again, because at least now, Selina had a smile on her face. He hope she would stay happy, perhaps she would forget about missing Ivy for a little while...

Back at the mansion, Luna felt left out, with the grown ups strangely preoccupied with something they didn't talk about in front of the kids, and now Mommy was tired and resting. Daddy had done the school run that afternoon, then left Cain to do his homework while he went to the study to make a phone call, and he shut the door, too... Julian was upstairs, he was on his laptop looking at toys and baby clothes. He had asked her what she thought about a baby rocker for a small baby and Luna had shrugged. He said it had multi motion glide technology and sounded cool. Luna didn't know what that meant, and she was too old for baby rockers, even Felix didn't have one of those any more...

She went downstairs. Penguin was cooking a vegetable soup that smelled extra special with herbs he had gathered from the garden. He told her Ivy had taught him how to cook, and he was good at making broth. Then he reminded her to put on her coat before she went outside, and she put her coat on, then she hurried out to play. But she didn't stay in the garden. Curiosity took her back around the side of the house, back to the orchard...

She didn't see Mr Giggles, not at first. Then she heard a noise and turned around and he was standing in the shadow of the trees, and he beckoned to her. She stepped off the path and went closer. In the shadowy place where the boughs hung dark and heavy, his_ funny_ clown face looked a little scary even though he was her friend. He partly stepped into sunlight.

“Where have you been?” he demanded, “I've been waiting to see you!”

“Mommy got upset about the toy you gave me,” she said, “And Daddy made the guards search the grounds because they thought you might be a stranger. But then I said you're my imaginary friend, and everyone was okay again.”

Jeremiah half smiled on hearing that.

“Well that is good news,” he replied, “Grown ups don't have imaginary friends, Luna.”

“Did you ever have one?” Luna asked.

Jeremiah thought back, then he laughed.

“Well I can't count my brother Jerome.. I thought he was my friend but... we were too different, so I guess in a way, he was my friend in my imagination only.”

Luna felt confused.

“So he was real?”

“He's dead now,” Jeremiah replied, cancelling out that conversation thread. Then he changed the subject.

“So, what have your parents been up to lately? I know Daddy runs the underworld and he's this big important politician now, but what's he really been up to? Any robberies?”

Luna's eyes went wide.

“My Daddy doesn't steal from anyone!”

Jeremiah giggled.

“That's_ so_ cute! Aww, Daddy doesn't steal? You should know how much protection money he still makes! Protection is one of the reasons his underworld have so much power in this city, because the Bat and the GCPD can't keep the crime rate low enough!”

“Protection money... What's that?” Luna asked.

Jeremiah left her to wonder, changing the subject.

“And how is your Mommy?”

“Molly is tired. She rests a lot. She's sick, I think she has a cold or something.”

Jeremiah gave a sigh.

“No, I mean, your _real _Mommy. I'm not sure how you see it, but you have two Mommies, yes?”

“Oh! You mean _Fish Mommy_?”

“Fish Mommy?” he repeated, then he shook his head, “Well I guess you won't be thinking of her like a Mommy when you get older. Not when you find out what she's_ really_ like...”

Luna frowned.

“What do you mean? Fish Mommy is kind! She loves me!”

Jeremiah gave a sigh as he stepped closer and looked into Luna's wide eyes.

“Luna,” he said, “You know that bad leg your father has, the leg that he limps on... the leg that gives him pain?”

Luna nodded.

“Daddy has a disability.”

“Daddy has a life changing injury,” he corrected, “It happened when he was a young man. He snitched on someone and they punished him by smashing up his ankle and knee joints. It was all about a struggle for power, to rule Gotham, Luna. And Daddy, your poor Daddy - had to hobble around on his busted leg forever!”

Luna blinked back tears.

“Daddy has to go to bed sometimes because his leg hurts,” she said sadly, “And River my sister, she is a doctor, she gives him pain shots.”

Jeremiah put his gloved hand on her shoulder.

“And poor Daddy has to walk with a cane.”

“Yes,” she said as she blinked back tears, “And River said, Daddy might need an operation on his knee and his ankle if it gets worse. I worry about Daddy.”

Jeremiah looked at her, feigning sympathy.

“At least he has a family to care about him when he's in pain. I have no one.”

Luna looked up at him, studying his odd face.

“What happened to your face?”

“It was an accident,” he told her.

“Oh,” she said sadly.

Jeremiah spoke again.

“Do you know who hurt your Daddy's leg?”

Luna shook her head.

Jeremiah giggled.

“Let's not talk about sad things! I want this to be a happy day!”

“Do_ you _know who hurt my Daddy's leg?”

As she asked that question, he stopped laughing.

“Yes, I do. But I'm a good imaginary friend and I don't want you to be upset....”

“But I want to know!” Luna said.

Jeremiah shrugged.

“Okay, I'll tell you: It was Fish Mommy. Fish Mooney damaged your Daddy's leg many many years ago in a gangland dispute. This was before you were a tiny baby in her belly. And let's not forget, before you, she had River – another baby by your Daddy. And she didn't want a baby by Oswald because he was just her umbrella boy! So she dumped River on a doctor friend and abandoned your sister. Looks like you had a lucky escape, being tiny and frozen for a generation, waiting to be born to a Mommy who _really_ cared. I guess Molly must love you a lot.”

“Yes she does,” Luna said, and sounded hurt. She was thinking about Fish Mommy:_ How could she have hurt Daddy like that? And she had dumped River as a baby?_

“Is something wrong, little Luna?” asked Jeremiah darkly.

She shook her head.

“No, I'm okay. Do you... do you know anything else about my family?”

“I'll have to think about that,” he replied, “My memory is not what it used to be! But you can always be sure I will tell you the truth. Sometimes grown ups hide things, they think kids won't understand – but I know you're clever, and you deserve the truth, Luna!”

She nodded sadly.

Jeremiah paused, then he started to smile.

“Do you think you could get me a copy of Daddy's notes for his next speech at the city council meeting? I'd love to know all about it before I surprise him!”

Luna shrugged.

“I don't know where that is. Uncle Ed does most of the meetings these days so Daddy can stay home and look after us.”

“Do you know where Daddy keeps his special keys? He has keys that unlock something called the City Armoury.”

She shook her head.

“No, but I think Ed knows where they are. He was talking to Daddy about the armoury when he was talking about keeping the city safe,” she smiled, “You can't have they keys to that, Mr Giggles. The armoury is full of big guns for Daddy's people and the cops, in case bad guys try and take over.”

Jeremiah laughed.

“What do you think a bad guy looks like?”

“Like Bane,” she replied, recalling the war that had made Daddy cry, the war that had killed many of his men and almost killed Julian, too.

“Yes, I agree, he was a nasty man,” Jeremiah replied, resisting the urge to laugh as he wondered how Luna would feel to realise she was, at this moment, talking to a _very_ bad guy indeed...

“You'll see me again soon,” he told her, “But you should go back now before your parents miss you. And I do hope your Daddy's leg isn't hurting too much.”

At the reminder of Daddy's bad leg and the story he had told her about Fish, sadness shaded her eyes, but then she smiled at her friend Mr Giggles.

“I'll see you again soon,” she told him, and then she hurried away down the path toward the back of the house as Jeremiah hung back in shadow with a sly smile on his face.

It was later that evening before Luna mentioned her chat with Mr Giggles. Molly had just looked in on her daughter to find her ready for bed, with her night light glowing beside her. She was wearing pyjamas with penguins and fish on them, seeing that design always made Molly smile. As she sat there in bed, Molly sat on the edge of her bed, deciding to tell her some important news.

“You know I haven't been well lately?”

Luna nodded.

“I'm not exactly ill,” Molly told her, “I'm having another baby...” She left out the part about the baby being Julian's. She didn't know how they would break this to the kids or the rest of the family, but Oswald had spoken to River and told her everything that afternoon, and tomorrow they were going to the clinic to see her. Molly didn't know how she would feel, looking her in the eye, wondering what River really thought of their three way set up...

“That's good!” Luna said with a smile, “I hope I have a sister.”

“Maybe you will. It's too early to know,” she told her.

“I can't wait to tell Mr Giggles!” Luna said as her eyes shone excitedly, “He wants to know all about my family!”

Molly felt a jolt on hearing that name again.

“He's not real, Luna.”

“But I can see him.”

Molly looked at her fondly.

“That's because he's your imaginary friend.”

“But he's a _special _imaginary friend. When he was under the tree, he moved when he was talking, and Mr Giggles had something my unicorn didn't.”

Molly had a creeping, uneasy feeling as she looked at Luna.

“And what was that?” she asked in a hushed voice.

Luna smiled brightly.

“_He has a shadow, just like me!”_

Molly gave a gasp and stood up quickly.

“A shadow?”

Luna nodded.

“Well, he must be a very special imaginary friend... Can I meet him?” as she asked that question she thought of her loaded gun, hidden out of reach and sight of the kids.

“I'll ask him next time I see him.”

“You do that.” Molly forced a smile, “Goodnight sweetheart.”

“Goodnight Mommy...and Mommy?”

Molly had reached the door. She looked back.

“_I know you love Daddy so much. You would never break his leg like Fish Mommy did. I don't think I like her so much any more. Can I stay home this weekend?”_

Molly's face paled as she stared at her.

“Who told you about that?” she said in a hushed voice.

“_Mr Giggles told me.”_

Molly took in a slow breath.

“Just a minute, sweetheart, I'll fetch your Daddy,” she said, then she called in a shaking voice to Oswald, who had just left the bathroom after his nightly soak in the bath that lifted out the worst of the aches in his damaged leg. He limped up to Luna's room wrapped in a warm dressing gown, and as Molly quietly explained, Oswald's eyes registered a flash of shock, then he shook his head.

“This was inevitable... I'll explain, I can see what's happened...”

Molly stood there in the doorway, watching as Oswald limped into Luna's room, then he pulled up a chair and placed it close to the bed, in the glow of the night light and sat down.

“Mommy tells me someone said Fish broke my leg?”

Luna nodded.

“Yes, she broke your leg because you snitched on her years ago. Daddy, your poor leg...” Luna blinked back tears.

Oswald took a deep breath, staying calm as he held back his anger, as the thought, _Some bastard had to open their mouth eventually_, ran through his mind.

“Luna,” he said, “This was a long time ago. Many, many years ago! I used to work for Fish. I used to... hold her umbrella when it rained. At the time I was trying to establish myself in power in the city and Fish and I became enemies. Fish _did_ break my leg. But that was a long time ago and all is forgiven now. You're too young to recall when I fell ill, but there was a time when Cain was little, when I was accused of a crime and put in jail and at the same time I was fighting a very serious illness, called an industrial disease. I had it because I fell in the Gotham river many years ago at a time when the water was polluted. And I was very sick and do you know who healed me? It was Fish. She gave me my life back. She also helped Julian after he was injured by Bane. So Fish has more than made up for what she did to me all those years ago. And we love you and River very very much! That's all you need to understand, Luna. Now tell me, which kid at school told you all this stuff? Because they're not in trouble,” Oswald smiled as he hid his anger from his daughter, “_No one_ is in trouble! In fact, I'd like to send Jax over to their parent's house to have a nice chat with them about the old days!”

“_Mr Giggles told me.”_

Oswald looked at her knowingly.

“Luna, Mr Giggles is not real.”

Molly shivered as she stood there looking on.

“Oswald, she said Mr Giggles has a shadow.”

Oswald brushed off her remark.

“Clearly Mr Giggles is a highly detailed imaginary friend,” he added, “But I need to know who _really_ said this to you, Luna.”

She looked at her Daddy.

“It was Mr Giggles!”

“Fine,” Oswald got up, pausing to kiss her cheek,” Goodnight, princess. We'll talk about this more another day. Go to sleep, you've got school in the morning.”

Then he got up, put the chair back where he found it and limped out of the room, closing the door softly behind him. Molly was still waiting there and she looked at him as worry reflected in her eyes.

“He's talking about Fish breaking your leg! Luna said he has a shadow!”

Oswald placed a hand on her shoulder, looking into her eyes as he spoke softly.

“And you thought you saw a younger version of Jeremiah in the spare room digging a bullet out of his guts! Molly, it was a hallucination. And Luna's Mr Giggles has a clown face, yes – but he's nothing like Jeremiah and he's also an imaginary friend! It's easy to blame an imaginary friend, too – that's why Luna is saying it was Mr Giggles who told her about Fish breaking my leg...” Annoyance flashed in his gaze, “There's always a minority who will be against the underworld alliance, Molly. One of her friends at school has heard a parent talking about the old days... they just need a visit from Jax to remind them not to speak ill of the underworld in front of kids who will repeat these things to our Luna!”

“But Oswald, she said he has a shadow!”

“And he's a very detailed imaginary friend. Luna's a smart girl. Don't worry, I'm sure you will feel much better about everything once we have seen River tomorrow.”

He limped off down the hallway, heading for the bedroom. Molly gave a sigh. She passed Julian's door, it was ajar and he was on his bed in his underwear, the light making the contours of his toned body looked kissably soft. She pushed the door a fraction and looked in. He turned his head and smiled.

“Goodnight, Molly.”

“Goodnight, Julian,” she said, and as he blew her a kiss she reached out, as if to catch it in her hand.

“That's for you and Oswald!” he said with a smile.

“I knew that!”

Molly closed the door and headed down towards the master bedroom.

Oswald was still in his dressing gown. He had run a comb through his hair and put on some cologne before bed, and was looking forward to taking Molly in his arms to love her in every way as he reassured her all would be well with the baby, and to take her mind off her concerns about Luna's imaginary friend. Clearly, finding out she was pregnant had made his usually brave and confident Molly unusually nervous, and he wanted to do all he could to lay her fears to rest.

Molly entered the room, closed the door and looked at Oswald as love shone in her gaze. She just wanted to put her arms around him and sleep and let rest chase away her fears. Then her expression changed as her face paled again and she stared in horror at the sight of a young Jeremiah Velaska, standing behind Oswald with a blade in his hand.

“_I'm going to kill your husband!”_ he said, and laughed hysterically.

Molly moved in a blur, grabbing the box on top of the wardrobe, opening it up and drawing out her Desert Eagle.

“_Molly what the hell are you doing?” _Oswald yelled.

She aimed the gun in a two handed grip.

“_Get down!”_ she shouted, firing off a volley of shots as Oswald dived for the carpet.

Then the haze cleared from the plaster that had burst out as holes had punched the wall. Jeremiah laughed and his laugh faded as he faded away, leaving her standing there with the gun in her hand as she stared at the bullet riddled wall. Oswald looked up at her.

“_Molly, put the gun down!”_

She watched Oswald grab at the bed as he staggered to his feet and then reached for his cane. The gun slipped from her grip and fell to the carpet as she stared at the wall, thankfully she had fired off shots into the wall that overlooked the garden, the force had cracked a window and there were holes in the brickwork... but at least she hadn't fired into the other wall, if she had seen Valeska standing close to the dresser, she would have fired into the wall with a bedroom on the other side of it, where Julian was on his bed watching TV...

“Valeska was behind you with a knife,” she whispered, “He looked like he did years ago, before I even knew him... like he did in the old days, he was around early to mid twenties...”

Oswald limped over to her and paused to pick up the gun, then he put the safety on and slipped it into his pocket.

“The gun is going in the safe,” he told her, “Molly, Velaska was_ not_ in this room. You looked past me and just went for the gun and started shooting. We have to mention this to River tomorrow. I think you should be on medication, you need something to stop these hallucinations, it's getting dangerous!”

Molly blinked away tears.

“I'm sorry!” she said, and as she wrapped her arms around Oswald, the door opened. Julian was in his chair and looking into the room nervously.

“What the fuck is going on?”

Oswald was holding Molly as he stroked her hair.

“Another hallucination, it's okay now....”

Julian looked to the bullet holes in the wall. Molly raised her head from Oswald's shoulder and blinked away tears.

“I'm okay. Sorry about this...”

Just then Cain came running down the hallway as Luna called out, “What happened?”

“Oh no...” Molly said, her eyes filling with worry.

“I'll handle the kids,” Julian said, and closed the door. Oswald limped over to it and locked it, then he led Molly over to the bed, vowing to hold her all night long, to stay awake all night if he had to, anything to stop these terrifying hallucinations... As he laid beside Molly and turned out the light, he heard Julian speaking to Cain:

“It's all okay, Mommy was cleaning her gun and it accidentally went off -”

“Six times?” Cain exclaimed.

“What happened?” Penguin's gruff voice echoed up from downstairs, where he had been in the front room watching TV.

“Nothing to worry about, Penguin!” Julian called back, “It's all okay up here!”

Cain spoke again.

“Mommy's gun went off by accident_ six_ times?”

“Yeah, six times!” Julian replied, “But everyone is okay, no one is hurt... go back to bed... you too, Luna. Goodnight!”

As the kids went back to their rooms, Julian briefly returned to quietly open the door and say he just checked on Felix, who had slept through it. Oswald thanked him, then Julian went back to bed.

Oswald lay there beside her as Molly slept exhausted in his arms. He didn't know what news their visit to River would bring come morning, but he had already formed a plan to cope with the worst of this. Molly needed constant reassurance until these hallucinations were under control. He sent a message to Jax Sterling, then forwarded the same message to Josh:

_My wife is unwell. Tomorrow we are seeing River and when we return, we should have answers. I would like you to come over to the house at mid day. My wife needs protection, the rest is highly confidential and will be explained later. See you tomorrow – Oswald._

Once the message was went, he put his phone down and held Molly a little closer as he kissed her sleeping face. What ever the cause of these hallucinations, until they were effectively addressed he would not leave her alone with this threat. He would have his best men guarding her, it was all he could do. Only River would have a real solution – at least, he hoped she would. He loved her too much to lose her and if Molly was going insane, he had already decided, he would do all he could to save her, he would save her from herself no matter what it took to do it...


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers :-)
> 
> Just a quick warning here - expect VERY strong language in one scene in this chapter!!!

Chapter 3

Molly had no bad dreams that night, her sleep was unbroken and when she woke in Oswald's arms, for a blissful moment, she thought all was well – then she remembered:

_Oh yes, I'm pregnant with Julian's baby. _

_And I'm possibly losing my mind._

_Possibly? _

_I fired off shots into the wall because I thought Jeremiah was in the bedroom. _

_I am going crazy..._

Then Oswald pulled her closer and she held on to him as he ran his hand over her hair, speaking softly.

“All will be well, my dear,” he promised.

They arrived at the clinic just after nine thirty. River had put all calls on hold and ensured they would have plenty of time to talk alone without interruption. As Molly and Oswald sat down by River's desk, Julian wheeled his chair up, sitting the other side of Molly as Oswald briefly grasped his wife's hand. Then as River sat down she paused, thinking how her Dad had called and explained about the baby:

_Dad and Molly were in a three way relationship with Julian?_

She had felt shocked at first. Then she had told Victor about it, and Victor had said, _But Julian's not really a Cobblepot. He's not even related to Oswald, River! And if they're happy, great. It's not for us to decide what's right and wrong. They're three adults, doing what makes them happy..._

And she guessed Victor was right. It was just a shock to know her Dad, who had always been so shy and private when it came to relationships, could be involved in a polyamorous arrangement...

“We don't just have concerns about the baby,” Oswald began, “It's Molly, too. As I said when I called you this morning, she's hallucinating.”

Molly looked tired and pale as she met River's gaze.

“I shot holes in the bloody wall! I saw him there - Jeremiah... just as he was years ago. Not how I remember him, younger... back in the days when Oswald first made his mark on the underworld.”

River nodded. She paused for thought, then she looked at Julian.

“Before I go into the hallucinations and the pregnancy, I just want to ask, how are you coping, Julian? Are you looking forward to being a father?”

Julian nodded.

“I never thought this would happen, not after all the meds you had to put in me after I came out of Ashecliffe. It feels like a miracle.”

River smiled, then she looked to her father, then to Molly.

“First of all, I want put your fears to rest about the baby. Yes, Julian has been through a lot in his struggle to survive the terrible damage done to him in the asylum. He had that fight complicated when he was left for dead by Bane and the fact that he's still here now and cured says all you need to know, Julian is a very brave man, Molly.”

Julian smiled, briefly looking away as his face flushed.

“I'm not brave, River!”

River smiled.

“But you are,” she told him fondly, then she looked back at Molly, “And Julian has been treated with some very powerful healing agents - some were experimental at the time and all have since been passed as safe to mass produce and distribute to a wider community. Nothing used in any of his treatments will cause birth defects, so you don't have to worry about that. Your baby will be fine. But there is one thing you need to be aware of Molly, and by the time I've finished explaining, I hope it helps you to make sense of what's been happening with you.”

“What is it?” Molly asked.

Oswald reached for her hand. Julian reached for her other hand as she sat between them, looking to River anxiously.

River explained:

“Julian carries a trace of a very powerful healing agent in his body – it's neutralised, it won't do him any harm at all. But it _will_ be carried into his unborn child. And as the baby starts to form, your body will recognise that agent as something to be filtered out – and the drug will naturally be drawn out of the baby's system and leave your body harmlessly through sweat. But as your body rids your little baby of that agent, during the process of filtering out of you, it will act as a hallucinogenic. That's why you're seeing Velaska. Every time your body takes more of the drug out of the baby, you have a bad trip.”

Oswald breathed a relieved sigh. Molly smiled and shook her head as Julian gave her hand a squeeze.

“So I'm not crazy?”

“No Molly, you're not,” River said, “I can even tell you why you specifically see Velaska as a young man – far younger than you recalled him... You first encountered him ten years ago, when he abducted my Dad and almost killed him. I know that traumatised you. But the first time you learned about him, was when you saw an old news report about his earlier years, when he first rose to power. That image stayed in your mind of the man who tried to kill your husband. That's why you see him as a man in his early twenties, looking just as he did when he first planted bombs in the city, several years before the bridges fell.”

Molly slowly nodded. Everything made perfect sense now.

“How long will it last?” she asked.

“It should stop by the time you're around twelve weeks pregnant,” she told her, “So you have another four to five weeks of hallucinations that will come and go and they will be vivid and seem real. You have to remember it's an illusion and he can't hurt you. I could give you meds to damp it down if it gets too much but I'd rather hold off on that unless it's really necessary because you're pregnant. But as long as you have company and reassurance, you should be able to get through this. If you struggle, I can help.”

Molly smiled as she looked to Oswald, who was clearly relieved. Then she turned to Julian, holding his hand a little tighter.

“I don't want our baby exposed to any drugs,” she said, “And I will get through this okay. When I think about everything you've been through, all I have to do is remember, my hallucinations are caused by what _you_ went through to survive. And I can bear that, sweetheart. I'm proud to bear it. Because I know anything I go through will never come close to what you've been through. I'll handle this with pride for you, my brave Julian.”

Julian smiled, then he looked downward, avoiding her gaze and River and Oswald's as his face flushed.

“I'm not brave,” he said again, shaking his head, then he turned back to Molly, leaning in and shyly kissing her cheek.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

Molly turned her head and looked into Oswald's eyes.

“Sorry about the wall!”

He smiled warmly.

“At least you know he's not real and can't hurt you now.”

“That's right,” Molly agreed, “He's just my dream demon, my Freddy Krueger. And he's_ not_ real.”

“I've asked Jax and Josh to come over later, when we return home,” Oswald added, “I'm going to ask them to take turns to watch over you. I thought it might help.”

“Yes, it will,” Molly agreed, “I think we've got this handled well.”

They stayed for another half an hour while River checked her over, then did a scan, and Oswald smiled joyfully as he saw the look on Julian's face when River pointed to the tiny little spark of life on the screen and said, _That's your baby. _They left the clinic feeling relieved. And Molly was ready for the next awful encounter with her imagined version of Velaska, but for now, the hallucination did not return.

The_ real _Jeremiah was far from the young and handsome man he used to be. The fall into the vat of chemicals had left him horribly burned. He was glad the city didn't know the fate of Mr J, but soon enough, with Oswald gone, he hoped power would more than compensate for his freakish appearance... The Cobblepot house was empty, the kids had gone to school and someone was looking after the youngest boy, but Jeremiah hadn't seen them yet, as he lurked in shadow, hiding behind the door of the study.

He had tried Oswald's desk, but it was locked. Forcing it would arouse suspicion. He couldn't make a sound, this place was heavily guarded and slipping in and out had started to prove a real challenge. But he had sneaked in under cover of darkness, stood in the master bedroom and watched Oswald and Molly sleeping. Oswald had not closed his eyes until gone three am, and then, Jeremiah had stepped closer to the bed, looking down as his head tilted to the side, taking in another angle of the fall of Molly's breasts. _For a bitch who had kicked him into an open grave ten years before, she had nice tits. Not a bad body at all for a woman who had popped out three kids..._

And he had listened to a conversation. The three of them, Oswald, Molly and Julian... apparently, Julian was not Oswald's son as the public had been lead to believe. His real name was Lambrick, and he seemed to be sharing a three way relationship with them... It hadn't taken long to put that with the name _Shepard_ and dig up a_ very_ ugly past on Julian Lambrick, apparent victim of experiments with a reworked version of the Tetch virus... But as fun as it would be to splash their private lives all over the press, he wanted blood, not fun and games.

But he didn't doubt it would be fun to give Lambrick a call. Yes, he would definitely do that later, he had just pulled up several numbers from a phone book on Oswald's desk... useful, that was, old fashioned Oswald doubling up his phone numbers to paper because apparently, a cell phone just wasn't enough safekeeping for Oswald's contact list:

_So he left it on paper, in his study, in an old fashioned phone book, where Mr J had found it...How easy. How naive, he thought, How very Oswald to think no one would dare to step foot in his study and rifle through his private papers..._

And now, Jeremiah had just planted a listening device under the desk in the study. He smiled, looking upward, thinking about the one he had put under Oswald and Molly's bed. _That sure would light up a dull and boring evening..._ Then he heard approaching footsteps and ducked back as guards walked past. Then he smirked, thinking about all the cameras in this place and all their blind spots too – and the places that were deliberately left surveillance free, because Oswald was like that, he had to have privacy even from security...

“And _that_ will be your downfall!” he whispered, stifling a giggle as he checked the time, paused to take a swig from Oswald's open bottle of scotch, then he hurried off, taking the usual route out of there, away from the cameras and the guards...

Jax had already arrived at the mansion when Josh parked his car nearby. Jax waited by his car for Josh to join him, then they walked to the front door together.

“I can't imagine what this is about,” Josh said, “And Molly's sick? I know she's been tired lately, but I had no idea she was unwell. I'm not sure why Oswald needs us involved.”

Jax had just rang the doorbell. As they stood there in their smart suits and ties with umbrella logos, he lowered his voice, sharing wisdom learned long ago by experience in this job:

“I suggest you stop _imagining_ what this is about, Josh. It's about, whatever Mr Penguin says it is about. We go by his word and act accordingly. Perhaps he's a little stressed or worrying too much about Molly. But we follow orders, we don't question anything.”

Oswald opened the door and invited them in. They went inside and he led them to the front room, then he sat down in his favourite armchair and gestured to the sofa. Jax and Josh sat down, and Oswald began to explain:

“We are in the middle of a sensitive..._family matter_. Details of this will be shared at a later date, right now, all you need to understand is this: Molly is pregnant, and is suffering an odd side effect which will last around a month. She is having hallucinations. They will pass, River has assured me of this - but these hallucinations involve a young Jeremiah Velaska, who is very real to Molly. She believed he was trying to kill me last night and shot six holes in the wall. Under no circumstances leave anything lying around that could be used as a weapon. Most of the time my wife is her usual self, but when she imagines she sees Velaska, obviously, it's terrifying to her. Knowing he's not real may perhaps help, but it certainly won't ease her fears completely. That's why I would like you gentlemen to take turns staying here at the house, in the day time, to watch over my wife.”

“Happy to help, sir,” said Jax, “And congratulations on the baby.”

“Yes, congratulations. “ Josh added.

Oswald smiled.

“Thank you,” was all he said, then he added, “There is another matter – and I believe this may have worsened her fears. Luna has acquired a new imaginary friend, unfortunately, he is a clown. Molly is very uneasy about this, she's convinced there could be more to it, simply because Luna has invented a very vivid and strange character. Molly is very nervous of late, and although this shall pass, it will take time. As always, I will be very grateful for your absolute silence on this matter outside of this house...”

As Oswald continued to speak, Jax and Josh listened. Clearly, this was going to be a very easy task, all they had to do was keep Molly company and reassure her if she started to imagine Valeska was in the house. Oswald drew up a list of times and dates, and Jax and Josh looked at the list as Oswald briefly left the room.

“We can do this any way you want,” Josh said to him, “You've got a baby at home, so I'll take the longer days.”

“Are you sure?” Jax asked.

“Yes, Selina will be fine with that.”

Josh paused for thought.

“Jax, do you think there could be more to this clown thing?”

He dismissed it with a wave of his gloved metal hand.

“Josh, Mr Penguin just said, the clown described by Luna is an imaginary friend.”

“But Molly said Luna told her the clown had a shadow.”

“And Luna is very imaginative,” Jax replied, “Also, if Mr Penguin says there is no clown, he is right. Never doubt his word.”

Josh gave a sigh. He wanted to point out that there was always room for doubt where possibility of other facts existed. It seemed very unusual indeed for Luna to say her imaginary friend had a shadow... but Jax was fiercely loyal to Oswald, and he had every intention of doing nothing but obey orders. Josh had already decided he wouldn't feel quite so comfortable to accept these facts until he had spoken to Luna and to Molly. Maybe it was just a coincidence, Molly hallucinating Velaska and Luna having an imaginary friend who happened to be a clown. But her clown was much older than the youthful Jeremiah Molly had been seeing. Josh silently decided, he would definitely be looking into the facts before he made up his mind on the matter... Then Oswald returned to the room and sat down, as together, they discussed arrangements for guarding Molly.

Molly had gone upstairs to lie down for a while. She had already guessed she wouldn't be picking the kids up from school today – now she knew about the hallucinations, driving was out of the question for the next month. She sat down on the edge of the bed, looking to the mirror on the dressing table. Her gaze shifted to the bullet holes in the wall and she shook her head, never again wanting to recall how dangerous she had been last night, out of control, believing Velaska was in the room...Then she thought some more on the matter:

_Maybe, there was something positive to take from this. If she could face up to her worst fears and look Velaska in the eye and face all the things that the sight of him brought back to her, perhaps she would no longer be haunted by the memory of the terrible events ten years before. Perhaps dealing with his hallucination would kill her fears and lay the past to rest..._

Molly looked about the room, but saw no sign of her imaginary enemy.

“Where are you, Velaska?” she said in a low voice.

But he did not appear.

Molly gave a sigh and laid back on the bed, closing her eyes, partly relieved after River's explanation, and partly fired up to fight her imaginary demon and dispel it once and for all...

Julian was resting too, he was in his bedroom with the door closed, resting on top of the covers as he sat there leaning against soft pillows, as he cautiously stretched his legs and wished they worked well enough so he could walk again. He had not given up on that, even though River had said there was no chance of any kind of huge improvement now. He was about to reach for the remote and turn on the TV, when his phone rang.

Julian looked at the caller display, seeing the number was withheld. That was odd...But he answered it, thinking it might be a call from a former colleague, maybe someone wanted advice about an up coming city council meeting – maybe, it was Fish. She used to discuss such matters with him all the time...

_It wasn't Fish._

“Hello?” said Julian.

There was a pause. Then a man spoke, his voice was cultured but cracked either by time or damage as he laughed a rough laugh and began to speak:

“_Hello, Mr Lambrick!”_

Julian's eyes widened.

“You have the wrong number.”

“No, you're Julian Lambrick. You claim to be a Cobblepot, but you're not related to Oswald's family.”

Julian felt a rising sense of panic... _How the fuck did anyone know about this? It was supposed to be a secret..._

“You know _nothing_ about me!” he said sharply.

The caller chuckled.

“I know _all_ about you! The biggest mystery to me is, why the hell do Molly and Oswald want to pull you into their sex life? You're stuck in a wheelchair, your body is useless and crippled. I can't see much use for you in the bedroom. Sex for you is probably just a memory, and that's probably a good thing after persuading Iris to become your lover. I'm not surprised it didn't last. Have you considered asking the other woman for a date, the other one you... _took a liking to _at one of your father's parties? You know the one I mean, the one you attacked a year before Iris came along. Did you know she now lives in Gotham? Aren't you tempted to go over to her house and try and force yourself on her again? _Oh wait – you can't, you're stuck in wheelchair!_” the stranger laughed harshly.

Julian's face paled as tears stung at his eyes.

“If you know so much about me you'll know I was damaged by the Tetch virus, through no fault of my own! That's why I did those terrible things! And I refuse to be intimidated by a coward hiding behind a phone call!”

“What's the matter, am I getting to you? Touch a raw nerve, did I?”

Julian could only draw one conclusion.

“If you're someone from the old days, from the days when Shepard held his dinner parties – I was_ nothing_ to do with that! I was infected with the Tetch virus against my will and -”

“I don't give a shit about your sad past!” the caller said with a giggle, “I think it's kind of _funny_ that you're stuck in that chair and useless when you used to be so much more! All that power you had, Julian... I guess now all you can do for a thrill is close your eyes and remember how Iris struggled in fear... Pity! That's what it is! Molly and Oswald _PITY_ you!”

Julian took in a slow breath.

“Why are you doing this? What do you want from me?” he said calmly, holding back his anger.

“_I want... NOTHING!”_ he laughed,_ “I just wanted to torment you because I thought it might be fun. Poor crippled Julian stuck in that chair, unable to get up and do a thing about it! You think they care about you? You're just a plaything to Oswald and his wife. When they get bored, you'll be all alone forever. Who would want a wreck like you? I'm surprised you haven't given up on life - there's nothing to look forward to, Julian!”_

“You know nothing about me,” he stated again, deciding this bastard had to be some fanatic who opposed the unity pact, maybe he had hated him ever since he had taken a place on the city council, perhaps he had been able to look in to his past, done some research... But he had too much to live for, too much to look forward to in his life, to allow this faceless bully to break him.

The caller spoke again.

“_Yes I do! I know all about you! Your name is Julian Lambrick and your hobby is raping women. Sorry – used to be raping women. I doubt you have much luck with that now everything's fucked from the waist down, but yes, you used to enjoy it very much, Mr Julian Rapist Lambrick.”_

Julian's eyes filled with tears of anger. He drew in a slow breath as he replied coldly and calmly:

“I won't deny what I did whilst under the influence of the Tetch virus. Yes, my condition led me to attack two women on two separate occasions. Later when the scar tissue reactivated, I attacked a third woman. But I was helped through it and I found a cure for my disease! I have been through many treatments and several surgeries and it cost me the use of my legs, but I'm cured now and I'm alive and have every intention of staying that way! My life is far from over. And by the way, you're also wrong about my _useless_ body – I can still get it up and I do, often! _And_ I have a great life, I'm happy and loved and I have a _lot_ to live for!”

Julian blinked away more tears, keeping his voice low even though he felt like yelling as he added:

_“I wasn't a rapist by choice! I was the victim of experiments that were forced on me that changed my behaviour! And I'm not a victim any more – of Shepard Lambrick, or of anyone else – including you! And if you think I'm going to fall apart over verbal abuse from a cunt hiding behind a withheld number you're very much mistaken. I'm going back to that great life of mine now. I'm done with you. Go fuck yourself!”_

He cut off the call and let the phone drop to the bed as he brought his hands up to his face, briefly covering his eyes as he stifled a sob. Then he wiped away tears as he wondered who the hell would have called him and said those things. He wanted to tell Molly and Oswald – but they had enough to worry about with Molly's hallucinations. He didn't want to make matters worse over an anonymous phone call that could have come from anywhere. He decided to keep it to himself, for now – at least until Molly was over the worst of her problem, then he would mention it to Oswald. For now, it had to wait, even though that call had shook him up more than he cared to admit...

Jeremiah was still laughing to himself as Julian ended the call. He had heard pain in Lambrick's voice, but he had tried oh, so hard to be brave about it... Jeremiah chuckled.

“I've only just got started!” he said, and rubbed his hands together with glee. Then he sat in a comfortable, faded sofa by the dim light of an old lamp as he sat warm in the tiny windowless room beside an electric heater, and put in an ear piece, tuning in to Molly's room. He heard a door open, then a voice he did not recognise.

“Not another young lover, Molly....” Jeremiah said, giggling, and then he listened carefully:

“_I'm on watch today, Jax will take over tomorrow. I'll stay with you until Oswald comes back from the meeting tonight.”_

“_Thanks Josh,” Molly replied._

Jeremiah thought about it:

_Jax Sterling was Oswald's General. Josh had to be the young guy who worked as his assistant... And he was keeping Molly company while Oswald attended a gang leader's meeting in the city? _

He was smiling as he imagined Penguin's wife fucking Josh all over the house in her husband's absence. But then she said something that wiped the smile from the scarred face of Mr J:

“_I'll soon let you know if I see Jeremiah!”_

“What?” he snarled in confusion, as her words rang clear into his earpiece.

Molly spoke again:

“_And this time, no guns. No weapons required...”_

“_Penguin said he's locked the knives away,” Josh added, “Just in case you panicked – and Oswald said he's the only one with the key to the weapons stash and he's keeping that in a very safe place!”_

“_Sounds like you're all looking after me,” Molly said, “You, Jax, Oswald and Penguin.”_

Jeremiah gave a gasp.

Oswald _and _Penguin?

He thought for a moment as the lamp light flickered and he gave the cord a twitch, stopping the bad power flow as it glowed brightly once more …

“_Oswald and Penguin?”_ he murmured, _“Penguin and...No!”_

His eyes went wide as he recalled that _mess_ that came out of the experiment to clone Oswald years back, that mess that should have been destroyed, with its fat little body and its freaky nose and flipper hands... that kid that Ivy rescued when she killed his laboratory workers and fled...

_Penguin was alive? _

_That kid she named after Oswald? _

_He would be a man now..._

_He was here at the house?_

“This can't be...” he whispered, then he listened again as Molly spoke up:

“_Thanks for checking on me, Josh. I'll see you later on.”_

“_Oswald said he's on the way up to see you soon, he wants to spend the day with you before he goes out tonight... I guess I'm not really needed around here at this moment.”_

“_Josh,” Molly said warmly, “I really do appreciate you being here, thanks.”_

Then he heard the door close and took out the ear piece. As Jeremiah sat there he briefly considered maybe putting some hidden cameras around the house. But the installation would be risky, it could be spotted - and take more time to set up than planting a simple listening device.

_Besides, _he thought with a chuckle, _being up here in the Cobblepot's attic was much more fun... _

Jeremiah got up and took a few careful steps across dusty old boards in the closed off area he had made home when the workmen had come in to do the alterations for Julian. It had been three months since Jeremiah had moved into the attic space, and no one knew he was there. It was delicious fun, sneaking about the house at night, creeping the gardens and dodging security, this house had its own ghost now, except he wasn't a ghost. He was Jeremiah Velaska, and he was back after ten long years and he was going to have fun, taking his time as he tormented then killed the entire Cobblepot family...

But right now, he was smiling as a wicked look shone in his eyes and he pushed back an old faded rug, then got down on his knees and removed a board and peered through the carefully drilled hole that gave a perfect view of the bed Molly shared with Oswald. Molly was laying there, on her back and looking up, but not at him. She was deep in thought and Jeremiah licked his lips, thinking about the times he had caught flashes of her naked body and her head bobbing up and down as she sucked cock. The only down side for Jeremiah was the fact that he had not made that spyhole to see Oswald's fat body, his big ass and heavy belly and crippled leg – but more often than not that was what he got, because the spyhole looked down on Oswald's side of the bed more than Molly's...

He felt certain he was going to get an eyeful. She looked tired maybe she was going to get undressed and get into bed. He couldn't wait for the big confrontation, when he would have them bleeding and terrified on the floor at gunpoint as he related all he had seen while he had been hiding upstairs in their attic...

But Jeremiah was out of luck. Molly got up and left the room, closing the door behind her. From his hiding place, he couldn't risk accessing the rest of the attic, so he had no clue where she had gone. Then his thoughts turned back to that very, _very_ odd thing Molly had said about seeing Jeremiah and not being afraid, and the weapons being locked away.

_No one knew he was here. _

_Was there some other guy called Jeremiah who she was afraid of? _

_What the hell was going on in this house? _

He had heard shots fired the night before, and had retreated to his escape hatch, listening for cops. But no cops had been called and by the time he had decided it was safe to come out, Molly was in bed in Oswald's arms and the light was turned out. Something _very_ funny was going on in this house, he decided.

_But not as funny as the fact that their old enemy Mr J was hiding in their attic and planning to kill them all. He would kill the rest of the family first, then Oswald, and put the gun in Oswald's hand. Make it look like Mr Underworld Leader Cobblepot, once an Arkham inmate, had gone crazy and killed his family and then himself. Then with the underworld reeling from the shock, he would pull in Jerome's old cult followers and make good his attack, and take over the criminal underworld while Oswald and his family were still warm in pools of their own blood._

That thought brought a smile back to his face.

_To Jeremiah, that thought was fucking hilarious_...

Molly went up the hallway and paused, looking back towards Julian's door. She listened, heard him stifle a sob and went back, hurrying inside to find him sitting in his chair, looking to the window as he quickly brushed away his tears with the back of his hand.

“Julian? What's wrong, sweetheart?”

Molly hurried to his side, as he turned his chair around she sat down on a seat by the window, eye level with him as she took hold of his shaking hands. Julian was pale and his eyes were sore from crying.

“What's the matter?” she asked again.

Julian looked at her, thought of her and the baby and all she was going through because of him, because of the treatment he had once gone through. Now she would have four weeks of hell as his baby gave off a toxin that made her hallucinate and see her worst nightmare... Not many people would be willing to go through that kind of torture. But Molly was different. She loved him and she wanted his baby so much, she was even willing to put up with waking nightmares about her worst enemy... _No, he couldn't tell her about that phone call. It wouldn't be fair on her or Oswald. If he opened his mouth about this, it would be yet another worry for the two people he loved to take on, at the worst possible time..._

Julian?” Molly looked intently at him, “Please don't cry! What's wrong?”

He took a slow breath and shook his head.

_So much for that old saying about sticks and stones. _

_Words did hurt. _

_Especially the words of that malicious caller, talking about his useless body and laughing at him, then calling him a rapist..._

Julian forced a smile as he held back his tears.

“Nothing, Molly. I was just thinking how lucky I am to have you and Oswald, and I'm so thankful you want to keep the baby. You're going to go through four weeks of hell because of my baby, you'll imagine Jeremiah and it's going to scare the shit out of you, but you're doing this for the baby - and I'm glad you love me enough to keep it! I'm glad you and Oswald love me enough....” he blinked away more tears, briefly looking down at his legs as he sat there in his chair and the words of the caller came back, stabbing him in the heart viciously.

“_I'm glad you both still love me even though my body is useless.”_

Molly stared at him.

“Your body isn't useless! Oh my god, where did_ that_ come from?”

He gave a shrug.

“I was thinking too much.”

“Then don't!” Molly placed a hand on his cheek as she looked into his eyes, “We both love you, Julian. And your body is far from useless! You made such a good recovery from the surgery.”

She paused, running her hand over muscles in his upper arm that she could feel toned through the fabric of his t shirt, “And you can make love again,” she said with a smile.

Julian thought about the malicious caller_. Fuck him and his bullshit,_ he thought as he looked into her eyes and felt instantly stronger.

“And you're doing great, Julian!” Molly reminded him, “You're going to the gym twice a week to build up your upper body strength and that's going just fine.”

Julian smiled too. He decided, he was was going to raise the stakes: _If that bastard and his cruel words could have any effect on him at all, it would spur him on to prove everyone wrong..._

“And I've decided on a new goal,” he told her, “I'm going to try and walk again. I'm going to get a treadmill and put it on the lowest setting and do ten seconds at a time. Build it up to twenty seconds, then thirty. If I get one with hand rails, I can hold on long enough -”

“Please don't,” Molly said softly, “You'll hurt yourself, love!”

“If its moving slowly and I can't stand, I can lower myself to my knees and slide off.”

“And then you'll stop trying to walk?”

Julian smiled playfully.

“And then, Molly, I'm going to get back up and try again!”

She gave a sigh.

“I don't want you to do this to yourself. River said you won't be able to walk again. You accepted that, don't start hoping for the impossible!”

Julian gave her hand a squeeze as hope shone in his gaze.

“Molly, I'm going to be a father! I want to be active and able to look after my child properly!”

“And you can still do that from a wheelchair. Oswald is raising three kids with me and he's done that with a limp and painful joints that often put him on his back, he's constantly needing a cane or his leg brace - and it doesn't stop him being a fantastic father!”

“I know what I'm doing, Molly,” Julian said, then he leaned in and kissed her softly.

“I just don't want you to fall on your arse,” Molly said with a smile.

“But if I do, I can rely on you and Doctor Oswald to kiss it better for me!”

That cheeky look was back as he smirked. Molly laughed, feeling instantly reassured that he was okay now. Just then she heard the tap of Oswald's cane as he climbed the stairs.

“Are you sure you're okay?”

“Of course I am.”

“Then I'd better go and see my husband – he's more worried about these hallucinations than I am! Now I know Jeremiah's not real, I'm not so afraid.”

“Nothing is scary when you face up to it,” Julian agreed.

Then Molly left the room, and he hung on to the words he had just spoken as he looked to his phone, then picked it up and turned the call function back on. If that bastard called back, he was ready and this time, he would _not_ be intimidated...


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

“You know I love you, my dear,” Oswald whispered in Molly's ear as they lay together on top of the overs, together on their bed. Oswald had joined her and insisted they lie down together, as he asked her again if she felt okay, and she had told him she was fine, and now as he held her as she shifted closer to the warmth of his soft, chubby body beneath his immaculate suit, she gave a sigh.

“Yes, I know you love me. And stop worrying Oswald, I'm okay – for now. I actually feel better for River explaining.”

Oswald ran his fingers through her hair, looking into her eyes with deepest love.

“I promise you Molly, you have nothing more to fear. We can't have you getting worked up with that little one growing inside you.”

A sudden thought struck Molly and a flicker of concern reflected in her green gaze.

“Oswald, do you not mind at all that this baby isn't yours? I mean, we have three kids together and -”

“Molly,” Oswald pulled her closer, his hand sliding down to her belly as he looked into her eyes, “It was my idea to bring Julian into our relationship. And yes, I would have preferred to keep it easy and not have to think about how we will deal with the situation later on – but I'm coming up with a plan. I have every intention that this child will know Julian is their father. This means I may have to find a way to explain the reality of the situation publicly, three way marriages are not rare in this progressive city of ours and I am keen to clear up the story I concocted about Julian being my son when I had to protect him from Shepard...” he smiled as he recalled all that had happened since, “I tried to love him as family. But I knew there was more, I always felt sure the two of you had something to share and then I realised it was no threat to us. And neither is this precious child! You are my wife and Julian is my dear sweet friend. I couldn't be happier for all three of us.”

“You think the city will accept this, that you lied about Julian being family? What if this turns the public against the underworld? You know how your people are always up against negative press and if they find a lie they'll milk it for all they can get.”

Confidence shone in Oswald's gaze.

“No, my dear, it will be fine,” he assured her, “I will be speaking to Ed after the gang leader's meeting tonight, explaining that we will have to make an announcement after the baby is born. He will handle it with his usual flair and showmanship.”

He paused for a moment, then smiled.

“Ed Nygma was the only man I ever loved, Molly. I never thought anyone else would find their way into my heart after I met you. But Julian, he's different. He just fits between our two hearts so perfectly.”

“Yes, he does,” Molly replied softly.

There was a sparkle in Oswald's eyes. A sudden idea had come to him, and he was keen to voice it aloud.

“You're feeling fine at the moment?”

“Yes!”

“Excellent!” Oswald sat up and so did Molly. He reached for his cane as he got up, then limped over to the door.

“I think it's time we had another session in the treatment room with Mr Lambrick. Come along, Nurse Molly!”

There was such a playful tone to his voice, but as Molly joined him as he opened the door, she spoke quietly.

“But Josh is here!”

“Yes, he's downstairs. I'll tell him to relax for a couple of hours, I'll say we do not wish to be disturbed.”

Molly had a smile on her face as Oswald limped to the top of the stairs, placed a hand on the balcony and looked over.

“Josh?” he called.

“Yes, Mr Penguin?” he called back as he looked up the stairway.

“My wife and I do not wish to be disturbed for the next couple of hours, I understand Penguin is with Felix watching TV? Perhaps you could sit with him for a while. Make yourself at home, have some coffee – you know where the kitchen is.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Molly had just glanced about the hallway. No sign of her imagined horrors lurked yet... She smiled on hearing how cheerful Josh sounded. He had no clue about the fun and games they were about to play up here, with Julian...

As Oswald turned back to her, he couldn't hide his enthusiasm.

“Let's make it different today, I want to make up for going too far last time,” he said, lowering his voice, and as he laid out his plans she felt sure this was just what Julian needed after getting so tearful, this would remind him how loved he was...

Downstairs, Josh had gone into the front room to sit with Penguin, who was on the sofa while Felix sat on his bean bag cushion on the floor with his favourite teddy bear – the one Penguin had given him – as he watched cartoons. The short, round man with flipper hands smiled broadly as he turned his head.

“I'm glad you and Jax are taking turns to watch over Molly. She might need you if she gets uneasy tonight when Oswald's out – her last hallucination happened at night,. I almost shit my pants! I woke up to gun shots!”

“I'll certainly be ready if she needs help.” Josh assured him. Then he thought about the matter of Luna's apparently imaginary friend, the strange clown...

“Penguin, what do you think about Mr Giggles? I mean, Luna said he's an imaginary friend, but he seems an odd choice for a six year old kid, an old clown with a strange face?”

Penguin chuckled.

“When I was a kid, I had no friends, living alone in the forest with Ivy. So I used to image the trees could talk. I'd picture their trunks with faces. Ivy loved it, she's so at one with nature she thought it was great the only friends I had were trees. To her that was perfect. But I was lonely.”

“Does Luna have many friends?” Josh asked.

Penguin laughed again.

“Luna's birthday party was_ so_ big we had to have tables inside and out in the garden for all her friends! Luna is a very popular kid. So is Cain. I think that's where Luna gets it from – her older brother. Cain had to change schools when the family loved to Ireland for a while, and he had no trouble making new friends. When he came back, he still had his old friends too – and Luna's just like him, always got friends to talk to and play with.”

“And Luna's previous imaginary friend was a unicorn?”

Penguin smiled, recalling last summer and how she would play in the garden with a unicorn that only she could see.

“Of course,” Penguin replied, “Her father is Oswald Cobblepot. He can buy her everything she wants - but even he can't give her a real unicorn, so she had to invent one!”

Josh paused for thought.

“So why would she imagine a creepy old clown with a weird face?”

Penguin shrugged, then he opened and closed his flippers.

“She said he has disability. Maybe she was thinking of a character, a new imaginary friend that had a limp like her Dad or the kind of problems Julian's had... or...” he glanced at his flipper as he opened and closed it again, “Or someone who looks very different, like me. She's a bright kid too, great imagination. I guess her dreaming up a weird clown is no stranger than me pretending the trees were my friends when I was a kid.”

“You're probably right,” Josh agreed, deciding he would have to speak to Luna to try and get the bottom of this weird mystery. The thought of that clown still didn't sit easily with him and the more he thought about it, the more he wondered why she would imagine he had a shadow. That was definitely something he would ask her about later on that day...

Upstairs, Julian had been surprised by Oswald and Molly entering his room as Oswald had said, _How are you feeling today, Mr Lambrick?_ And he had spoken softly, smiling fondly at him, reassurance that this time would not be like before. Oswald was intent on holding back and not giving into that powerful urge that swept over him to dominate ruthlessly.

Molly unlocked the playroom while Oswald locked the bedroom door, then Julian sat up on the bed, stripping off his clothing excitedly. He had not been expecting this today and he was already feeling that rush of adrenaline that came with the promise of being strapped to the table in the next room...

As Josh sat downstairs with Penguin, he got a text message. He checked his phone. It was Selina asking, _Are you busy?_

_Not right now, it's quiet,_ he replied.

Then his phone rang. He smiled politely at Penguin and said _Excuse me,_ and answered the call.

“So... you're sitting around on your ass at the mansion?” Selina said playfully.

“Yes, um... something like that.”

She giggled.

“Oh no, you've got company! So you can't say much?”

Josh laughed softly.

“Yes.”

Selina dropped her voice to a whisper.

“_I've been thinking about you. About your ass, to be specific. I'm going to eat it when you get home! I'm gonna squeeze that cute butt and bite it then let my tongue go exploring!”_

Josh knew his face was heating up as he smiled.

Penguin was oblivious as he sat there, watching TV.

“That sounds great, I can't wait for dinner too,” Josh said.

“_Ha ha ha, oh my god you can't say a thing!”_

“No, Selina, I'm working right now...” he looked away as he smiled.

“_Want my tongue in your ass?”_

“Yes... that sounds great...”

“_While I play with your super tiny cock and see if I can make it squirt white stuff?”_

“Y-yes... um... that would be nice!”

Selina laughed again.

“I bet you're blushing!”

“No, I'm fine,” he said, unable to help the laugh that escaped as he spoke.

“Gotta go,” Selina replied playfully, “Don't get a hard on, no masturbating, remember you're at work! See you tonight!”

The call ended and Josh looked down at the phone, smiling as he shook his head. She loved to tease him when he couldn't react, especially when she knew he was working...

Penguin glanced at him.

“So,” he said, opening a flipper as he spoke, “What's for dinner? I bet your wife is a great cook, you sound _so_ excited to eat tonight!”

Josh smiled, wishing the heat that had spread through his face would cool off.

“She's a fantastic cook,” he agreed, then he started talking about Selina's cooking, because he needed to take his mind off what she had _really_ said to him...

On the upper level of the house, behind the locked door of the playroom, Julian was comfortable on the table. His wrists were restrained by leather straps and his legs were raised and parted, but Oswald had put a pillow behind his head, then paused to place a hand on his chest as he looked into his eyes.

“Are you comfortable, Mr Lambrick?” he asked softly.

Julian looked up at him.

“Yes, sir, yes I am!” he replied, his voice filled with nervous excitement.

Oswald didn't need to tell Molly what to do next. They had already planned this before surprising him...

Oswald had taken off his jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves. He put on latex gloves as he looked at Julian, lying there naked and spread open as he felt that rush of power that always swept over him when dominating another man. But this time he would go gently. He didn't want to make him cry again.

“Today I'm teaching Nurse Molly how to open up your ass and stretch it,” he said as he applied some lube to his fingers.

Julian leaned back against the pillow as he briefly closed his eyes.

“Oh fuck yes!” he whispered.

“Just relax,” Oswald said, “Nothing bad will happen to you. But you will _not_ be leaving this room until this treatment is completed and I will expect you to come when you are told, if you feel unable to go through with this, we will stay here until you _do_ obey, and that could mean a _lot_ of stretching for your ass, have I made myself clear?”

“Yes, Doctor Cobblepot...” Julian whispered. His open legs were shaking and he was breaking into a sweat as he watched Oswald stroking lube on to Molly's gloved hand.

“First we have to lubricate the patient,” Oswald said, “Like this.”

He stroked the lube on to Julian's ass, then pushed two fingers inside and began to move them in and out, pausing to scissor his fingers as Molly watched him start to open up as an ache throbbed hard between her legs.

“_Oh god, that's amazing...”_ she whispered.

Oswald withdrew from Julian's body, placing his other hand lightly on his belly.

“We'll stop for a moment, you seemed pretty near to orgasm and that can't happen yet.”

“I might lose control,” Julian whispered.

Oswald leaned over him, again savouring his absolute power as he spoke in a low voice:

“_And maybe I'll have to put some ice down there if you get too excited, Mr Lambrick. Remember who is in charge around here. Who is in charge?”_

“You are!”

“_Say it properly!”_

“_You are, Doctor Cobblepot!”_

Oswald limped back to the other end of the table, taking hold of Molly's gloved hand.

“Like this,” he said, guiding two fingers into Julian's ass, “Just as I did it, go slowly, that's right...”

Molly felt a bolt of arousal shoot through her body as she slowly spread her two fingers and he gave a gasp, tensing as he struggled and tried to thrust up against her touch. Oswald placed his hand over hers, adding more lube to her fingers as his touch glided over her hand, tapering three fingers together. He guided her in, slowly as she felt the ring of muscle slowly open up more as Julian gave a moan and his cock stood rigid.

“Now,” Oswald said, “You do this, Molly...” he drew her hand out, tucking her thumb to her palm as he slowly guided her back in, stopping as Julian gave a moan and his legs trembled.

“Are you coping, Mr Lambrick?” he asked in a dominating tone.

“_Yes...” _Julian gasped, _“Don't stop...”_

“That's what I like to hear.”

Oswald held Molly's hand there, applying slight pressure as slowly, he opened up more and then Oswald carefully, fraction by fraction, slid her hand deeper. Suddenly she took in a slow breath, eyes wide as she felt his ass swallow her hand up to the knuckles.

“A little more...”Oswald said.

Julian softly cried out _ fuck_ as his cock leaked and the precum ran down his shaft as Molly's hand slid deeper, she was into him just past the knuckles now and as Oswald moved her hand a fraction, in a gentle, careful movement, she felt his walls gripping her as he trembled and lay there breathing hard. His cock was rock solid and he couldn't hold back much longer. His balls were tight, he was sweating hard and moaning quietly, too overwhelmed to cry out for fear that if he moved too quickly, he would disobey and lose control.

“Just keep doing that, very carefully, go no deeper, just move your hand a fraction,” Oswald told her, then he took off his gloves and limped back to the other end of the table, looking down into Julian's eyes.

“Is that nice?”

“_Fuck, yes...”_ Julian panted.

Oswald swept his hair from his eyes, then leaned closer as he spoke again with that same commanding tone:

“I'm going to let you come now, I don't think that will be a problem. You can yell if you want to, you might need to be loud, this will be very intense.”

“_Oswald!”_ he gasped, looking down at the sight of his hand sliding between his legs as Molly kept up that fraction of a movement and his ass gripped at her hand.

“Yes, I think you're ready...”

Oswald gripped Julian's cock and jerked him firmly, three rough jerks and Julian's come shot hot and fast as Molly felt the walls of his ass contract. He thrust up as Oswald gripped his cock, as more come flowed and he cried out loudly and sharply, then cried out again. Oswald looked lower, taking hold of Molly's hand as the last throb faded out, drawing her hand from his body.

Julian was lying there bathed in sweat, gasping for air as he recovered from a shattering climax. Oswald paused to spread his ass, watching as the hole began to close, then he grabbed wet wipes and folded them, placing them against Julian's ass as lube ran out of him.

“How was that?” he asked softly.

Molly had just taken off her gloves and as she turned back, she saw Julian gave no reply as he looked up at Oswald, who opened up the wrist straps, then Julian reached for him, wrapping his arms around him as he held him tightly.

“_That was fucking good! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”_

Oswald smiled down at him kindly.

“And not scary?”

Julian smiled.

“No, I was okay... It hurt, but in a good way... I've never felt _anything_ like that!” his voice began to crack with emotion. He looked to Molly then to Oswald, and then, overwhelmed by the new experience, he gave a sob.

“I know,” Oswald hugged him tightly, “It was mind blowing... and it was your first time. A little too overwhelming for you, sweet Julian.”

“_It was damned good!”_

“I'm glad you think so.” Oswald told him, brushing a tear from his cheek.

They took him from the playroom, back to the bedroom. Once Julian was in bed, Oswald suggested he and Molly join him. Molly knew her arousal was impossible to miss, her pussy swollen, her thighs sticky... Oswald laid eyes on her body as she climbed into bed and he was ready for her, already turned on heavily by playing with Julian, now he was ready for more.

“How does that feel?” Oswald whispered, thrusting into her.

Julian lay on his side, still flushed from that powerful orgasm, still feeling Molly's hand down there if he thought about it and moved slightly, his ass was still loose and in the slow process of recovering from that fisting as he watched Oswald on top of Molly, fucking her as he ignored the pain in his leg and thrust harder, as she clung to him and wrapped her legs around his waist.

“My scarred hero,” she whispered, raining kisses on to his chest, over old bullet and stab wounds as she neared her climax.

He waited, always the gentlemen, letting her come first as she thrust against him and her face flushed and she gave a gasp. The squeeze of her walls warm and wet and wrapped around his cock sent Oswald into a downward tumble into hard and fast climax as he thrust in again, spilling into her so heavily that as he withdrew, her wetness and his come ran out together. Then the three of them lay there, recovering, embracing.

For a short while, all that could be heard was soft breathing, as the smell of sex and Julian's shower gel and Oswald's cologne and Molly's rose scented body spray mingled in the air. Molly was beside Oswald, her head on his shoulder as Julian lay the other side of him, his arm draped over his broad hips.

“I never thought I'd want anything with a guy... sexual or romantic,” Julian said softly as he looked into Oswald's eyes, “But you're..._ Oswald._.. And I love you as much as I love Molly. I'm so glad this happened – us, together.”

“So am I,” Molly agreed, looking at Oswald.

He replied by replied by kissing Julian softly, and Molly watched as Julian reached up, running his fingers through Oswald's hair. Her hand slid over to grasp Julian's as Oswald turned his head and then he kissed Molly with deepest passion. Then they lay together, simply embracing, enjoying togetherness and what it meant to them, for the three of them to share a love that ran deep as bones.

Josh had waited downstairs for over two hours. And still there was no sign of Oswald, Molly or Julian. Penguin had decided to take Felix to the park. He had just left, and now Josh sat alone in the front room, he looked at his phone, felt tempted to call Selina and maybe, if he kept his voice low, he could carry on that dirty talk ... 

_No_ , he decided, putting his phone back in his pocket,  _There's no way I can do that. A few more words from Selina and I'll be leaning back on this sofa jerking like my life depends on it and... in walks Oswald. _ _ Yes, Selina would laugh at the thought of him, cock out in front of his shocked boss. Maybe he would be so into it there would be come spurting out just as Oswald walked in. _ ..

But he wanted to keep his job...

Josh checked the time then got up and walked over to the window. He looked out, his gaze following the path that led to the orchard. All he saw out there were trees shifted slightly by a spring breeze. There were definitely no clowns outside...

Footsteps sounded outside in the hallway.

Josh turned around, his eyes growing wide as he stared towards the doorway:

_Had he just seen the flash of a purple coat? _

_And those footfalls had not sounded like Oswald..._

_Oswald didn't own a coat in that shade of purple, either..._

Josh briefly touched the gun safely holstered beneath his jacket, then he reminded himself maybe, it was a trick of the light. But he knew he had heard footsteps, and they were not familiar... Josh walked quickly and quietly to the door and looked out, in time to see the flicker of a shadow as someone turned the corner, heading for the study.

Jeremiah paused, tight against the wall, eyes darting to the security camera that was close by and aimed towards the front door. Here in the unmonitored space, he could move about, but not too freely, he had the kitchen and the front room and the study... all the places where Oswald spent family and social time that he didn't want on camera because that fat old bird was obsessed with his privacy... 

Jeremiah heard footsteps and stayed where he was, out of sight of the camera as he drew a sharp blade. For once, he really didn't want to have to kill someone – not when leaving a mess behind would fuck up his plans...He watched as Josh walked into the front room, then Jeremiah made a dash across the hallway, skimming the perimeter of the camera's eye as he made a ghostly purple blur that came and went in the blink of an eye as the lens caught a flicker of coat tail.

Josh left the front room and stood in the hallway, looking left and right. He thought he heard the back door close and ran down to the kitchen, but when he got there, the door, left ajar, knocked against the frame again and he closed it and turned the key, wondering if maybe Penguin had left it open... Penguin was still at the park with Felix. He heard the tap of Oswald's cane and left the kitchen, hurrying up to meet him in the hallway. Just then Molly came downstairs too, but she left by the elevator as Julian wheeled his chair out and they headed for the front room.

“Sir?”

Oswald turned to him and smiled.

“Yes, Josh?”

“Is there anyone else in the house?”

Oswald paused.

“Penguin and Felix – unless he took Felix to the park. Cain and Luna are at school.”

“He did take him to the park.”

“Then no, Josh. No one else is in the house. Why do you ask?”

Josh looked at Oswald. He recalled what Jax had told him – that Mr Penguin was always right. If he said there was no clown, there was no clown...

“I was just checking where everyone is,” he replied, “Trying to keep the place secure.”

Oswald smiled again as warmth shone in his gaze.

“And I have staff on guard outside and security cameras in here. I can have armed guards in here at the touch of a button, Josh. Really, this place is very secure. But thank you for your concern. I will be leaving tonight around seven thirty pm, I expect to be back around midnight or just after, if I'm late, I'll call. Until then, just relax, I'll soon let you know if we need help.”

“Yes sir,” Josh replied, and then Oswald turned to walk away. Then his phone rang and he spoke to his security staff.

“You saw what?” he said, “Send the footage over – right now!”

Josh watched as Oswald looked down at his phone.

“Is something wrong, sir?”

Oswald slowly shook his head, eyes still on his phone.

“I hope not.”

Then the video came through. Oswald saw what appeared to be a small piece of fabric, caught at the edge of the camera, it was there, and then it was gone. He tutted and shook his head and got back on the phone to security.

“Thank you for your vigilance but it's clear to me that's the drape by the window - the window is open, the breeze must have shifted it, and the sunlight made it seem lighter and blurred...But thank you, I can see this is nothing to worry about.”

He ended the call.

“Security thought they saw something move, but it was at the edge of the camera. There are heavy velvet drapes at the window. The sunlight on the drapes and a breeze passing through...” he laughed as he put his phone in his pocket, “All this talk of hallucinations and creepy clowns... what's next, ghosts?” then he turned away and limped off up the hallway to join Molly and Julian.

He stood there, thinking on what he had heard and what he was sure he had seen. Clearly, Oswald didn't believe there was a chance this imaginary friend of Luna's could be real – but Josh was yet to decide. He knew he had heard footsteps, and he had seen the flash of a garish purple jacket... Tonight he would talk to Luna, while Oswald was out, and hear her side of the story of the clown with the funny face. Something was going on here, but he needed proof before he explained that to his boss.

As it turned out, Josh didn't have to wait to speak to Luna. When the time drew near for the end of the school day, Oswald had asked him, would he mind doing the school run?  _ Of course not, _ Josh had said with a smile, as he left his gun with his boss and then left the house, wearing the suit of the underworld man, the tie with the umbrella logo that was associated with the might of the underworld, and the medal he earned at the Battle of the Monolith pinned to his jacket.  _ Yes, he was dressed up to serve and instead, he was on the school run... _ He turned up at the school a little early and sat there in his car, called Selina and she laughed about how his job certainly was unpredictable.

“At least I don't have to to tell you to be careful today!” she added, “I think you should have told Jax you'd work every day on this _watching over Molly thing..._ You've got such an easy day today!”

“And what about you?” he asked.

“I'm sitting here watching TV, your boss Oswald was mentioned once, talking about the upcoming city council meeting and the plans for the renovation on the north side of the river... Nothing exciting...”

“And it's time for me to go and pick up the kids,” Josh replied, “I'll call you soon. Love you.”

“Love you too!” Selina replied.

Josh ended the call, then got out of the car. He saw a few of the moms waiting for their kids, and he noticed the smiles and glances he got. They had  _ all  _ noticed his clothing, the timeless, elegant cut of his expensive suit, and the umbrella tie logo. He was one of Penguin's men, of  _ course _ they looked. They often did, at Jax too, when they were in the city on business. And Jax would always remind him, _ It's not you, Josh. It's not me, either. It's the suit and the tie and the medals. Women love to look at Mr Penguin's men... _

Luna was first out of school. She met him at the end of the path carrying a painting in bright colours of a big butterfly. Josh quickly explained that everything was okay at home, but as he was at the house today, Daddy had asked him to meet her and Cain from school.

“Oh good,” Luna replied, “I saw you and I worried that Daddy's leg was hurting again. Did you know Fish Mommy broke Daddy's leg years ago?”

As she asked that question and looked up at him, Josh felt stunned to think Luna had been told about that...

“Who told you that?” he asked, hoping to swerve her question, because to say _Yes, Fish Mooney_ _did that to your father, _could cost him his job...

Luna stood there holding her painting as she looked up at him.

“Mr Giggles told me.”

“Your imaginary friend? If he's not real, he couldn't possibly know that, Luna. Who really told you?”

“It was Mr Giggles!” she insisted.

Josh checked the time. Cain would not be out of school yet. When he did leave, he would take a while, walking with his friends. Josh took Luna back to the car to wait, and while they waited, he spoke to her some more about her clown friend.

“Is Mr Giggles nice?”

“Yes,” she replied, “He is lonely, he said I'm his only friend. I think he's sad, because he has a funny face.”

Josh looked back at her.

What does that mean, a funny face?”

She thought for a moment.

“It's a funny shape, and all kind of sore. He wears clown paint but it still looks bad.”

“And he has a disability because of this?”

She shrugged.

“I think so. That's what he told me.”

“And he's your imaginary friend, he's not a real person?”

“He has a shadow,” Luna replied, “But he said he's my imaginary friend.”

Josh wanted to ask more questions, but Luna spoke up again.

“So, did you know Fish Mommy hurt my Daddy's leg?”

Josh took in a slow breath, composing an acceptable answer.

“Many years ago, the underworld wasn't a family like it is now. _Everyone_ used to fight.”

Luna smiled.

“And now everyone is kind and looks after each other, all protected under my Daddy's umbrella!”

Josh smiled too, feeling sure that was the most accurate way to describe the modern underworld.

“Yes, that's right.”

Just then there was a loud knocking on the window of the driver's side. Josh turned sharply, then laughed as Cain smiled brightly.

“Call yourself security? Ha! I saw you first!”

He got into the car and put on his seat belt.

“I think your parents prefer you to ride in the back,” Josh reminded him.

Cain stayed put in the front passenger seat.

“The back's for my baby sis. I ride up front! So, tell me Josh, have you got your gun today? Can I see it? Have you upgraded or do you still have the same automatic weapon I saw last time? How many rounds does it fire, is it heavy?”

Josh shook his head as he smiled, looking to the boy who resembled Oswald, but had Molly's outgoing personality.

“Cain, I do not bring guns into school!”

“But under section sixty six of the pact it says my Dad's men can carry guns anywhere in the city!”

“But not into a school, Cain!”

Josh started the engine and they drove away, heading for home as Cain talked some more about his interest in weapons. He sounded just like Oswald when he said he was going to have an umbrella gun when he was older and that some day, the underworld would be his to command. Luna sat there in the back saying nothing as Josh silently wondered about her imaginary friend, who didn't sound imaginary at all...

As the evening came around, Felix was asleep in bed, Cain was upstairs in and Luna was playing a game on Cain's iPad in the front room. Oswald reminded her she had to stop soon, because she had to be in bed by eight o'clock, then he left the room and went upstairs. Julian was sleeping on top of the covers, worn out from their encounter earlier that day. Oswald smiled fondly as he softly closed his door, then he headed for the bedroom, where Molly was resting.

“Where's Penguin?” she asked.

“He's in the kitchen, making supper and washing the dishes,” Oswald replied, “Luna is downstairs too, she's on Cain's iPad. I reminded her it's time for bed soon. I should shower and get ready for the meeting.”

Molly smiled fondly at her elegantly dressed husband, then ran a hand over his spiked hair.

“You look and smell gorgeous as usual, you don't need to get changed!”

“Thank you Molly,” he said warmly, wrapping his arms around her and giving her a hug, “But I want to get changed. I'm wearing the long velvet coat and top hat and a black suit tonight.”

“And you will look so handsome, my love!”

Oswald's eyes sparkled.

“If you say so, it must be true, my dear!”

Then Molly caught a shiver down her back.

_What the fuck was that?_

_It was cold and... staring at her? _

_There was something..._

“Molly?” said Oswald.

She looked uneasy as she shook her head.

“I'm not sure what's wrong.. I just got the weirdest feeling...”

“Like what?” Oswald asked, “Are you hallucinating?”

“No, “ she said firmly, looking about the room, “No, Oswald! I just got that feeling... like someone was staring at me... I felt it on my back...”

“And you're certain you're not imagining Jeremiah Velaska in the room?”

Molly looked about again:

There was no one in the room.

“No, I'm not,” she assured him, “It was just a creepy feeling...I've never had that before!”

“No one is watching you,” Oswald assured her, then he limped off to the bathroom to take a shower.

_And up above, unseen by those below, Jeremiah stepped back from his spyhole, having no wish to see Oswald return naked to the bedroom as he wondered for a moment if Molly was psychic... How the hell had she sensed him watching her?_

In the bedroom, Molly was still feeling uneasy as she heard the water running in the next room. She touched the back of her neck and looked around again, still getting a horrible chill, the feel of eyes on her neck... She looked about the room, then up at the crack in the ceiling.

_That feeling was still with her. _

_It was like something cold and evil was moving closer... _

_What the fuck was this?_

_By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes..._

It was just a feeling, but she couldn't shake it. Molly realised she was sitting in her own bedroom, the room she had shared for ten years with her husband, and she felt unsafe, afraid to be alone.

_ Because she wasn't alone. _

_She couldn't explain it._

_But still that feeling was there._

Her mind was made up now, when Oswald left, she would probably go downstairs and join Josh and Penguin. She was sure this wasn't another trick of the mind, this was different, yet it made no sense. She had just thought,  _ maybe  _ someone was up in the attic... 

_No, she cancelled that thought._

Now she knew for sure she definitely needed company, and would be going downstairs when Oswald left. She really didn't want to be alone up here tonight...


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Molly had watched as Oswald left the house, looking elegant in his suit and top hat as he got into a waiting limousine, then the car drove off and she let the net fall back and stepped away from the window. She looked about the room again, getting that creepy feeling of being watched.

_But she wasn't being watched... was she?_

Molly looked up to the crack in the ceiling. She didn't know how long it had been there, but with the sex life they shared, she had never been one to lie on her back in bed and look up at the ceiling...

_No, no one was up there. _

_How could anyone be up there, this house was safe and secure..._

Molly left the room, feeling glad to close the door behind her, as if closing that door shut out whatever it was that watched her. Then she went downstairs to join Penguin and to remind Luna it was soon time for bed. For a while, she forgot about that uneasy feeling.

Cain had just finished his homework when his phone rang. He looked at the unknown number, then smiled, deciding if this was an unsolicited sales call and they had the nerve to call a kid, he was going to be their worst nightmare. He had done it before, when his phone had rang while he was at a friends house. Some company selling life insurance had called his phone and he had kept them talking for an hour asking every detail of their policy before adding, _by the way, I'm ten years old!_ As three of his friends howled with laughter in the background...

“Hello,” he said, trying to deepen his voice as a playful smirk came to his face, ready to bait another sales call.

“_Hello Cain.”_

His amusement melted away in a second as he felt uneasy at the sound of the creepy voice, cracked and dry as the caller spoke his name.

“Who.. who is this?” he said, getting up from his desk where his homework was finished and walking over to the window.

“I'm an old friend,” the man replied, “Well, not really a friend. _I'm someone who wants to kill you and all your family!_”

Cain gave a gasp. Then he paused, thinking about this: _Around Halloween week, one of his friends had used an app to prank call him with a creepy voice..._

“Ha ha, this isn't real. Halloweens months away, you're just a crappy app!”

“You talk so tough for a boy who pretends to be a young man,” said the voice, _“I know you're SO scared really! You're just a scared kid pissing your pants because you think I'm going to come into your room at night and slit your throat!”_

Cain stood there holding the phone, feeling his heart beat a little faster as fear started to creep in. _What the hell was this? It was way too intense for a prank call..._

“But you'd be wrong to assume that,” the man added, giving a chuckle, “I'm _not _going to slit your throat. I'm still working out who to kill first. It's more fun that way. _I can see you. I can see you standing at your window_.”

Cain gave another gasp, stepping back from the closeness of the glass as he looked down below across the driveway to the treeline, where, in shadow, he thought he saw someone duck out of sight. It was just for a moment, a fleeting glimpse of something moving out there...

“_No... this isn't real...” _he said, trying to hide his fear, _“This is a prank call!”_

“No, I am _very_ real,” the voice assured him, “And I'm watching your house every day! _I'm going to wait until the time is right and then I'm going to kill Oswald and Molly and then you and Luna and Felix...Oh...I forgot someone. Julian! Yes, Julian too. And that freak... The fat thing with the flipper hands...I'm killing that too! That should have died years ago!”_

Cain drew in a frightened breath as tears stung at his eyes. _This was no prank call. How did he know the names of his family?_

“_Leave me alone!”_ Cain sobbed, and flung the phone across the room as laughter sounded before the caller hung up.

Cain stood there for a moment, shaking as tears streamed down his face. Then he looked angrily at his phone, remembering he was the son of Oswald Cobblepot. He wasn't afraid of anyone...

“_My father will have you killed for this!”_ he said, snatching his phone from the floor. Then he ran out of his room, giving another sob. He was trying to brave, but this was scary. He needed a grown up...

Cain hurried down the upper hall, reached Julian's door and turned the handle. Julian woke up, raising his head from the pillow. He had fallen asleep on top of the covers, and as he blinked tired eyes, he felt confused.

“Cain?” he said, “What time is it? Oh shit, did I fall asleep again?”

He sat up and turned on the light.

“Are you okay?”

Cain blinked away tears and shook his head.

Julian smoothed the creases from his clothing and blinked again, trying to shake off his tiredness.

“What's the matter?” he asked.

Cain went over to the bed, knowing Julian couldn't get up and walk over to him. He took a deep breath and spoke in a shaken voice.

“_A man called me... he said... he said he wants to kill us all!”_

Cain gave another sob and Julian reached of him, putting a protective arm around Molly's oldest son.

“Some ass hole gave you a scary call? It's okay, no one's going to hurt you, leprechaun. Let's tell your Mom about it.”

Cain sat there hugging Julian tightly as he reached for his phone and called Molly, who was downstairs.

“I've got Cain on my bed sobbing like a baby. He said some ass hole called him on his cell phone and threatened the family.”

“Some fucker did _what_ to my boy?” Molly said as anger rose in her voice, then she took a slow breath,“It's probably some nutter who opposes the unity pact... those fanatics are sick enough to scare a kid! I'll call security.”

“Okay, and I'll stay here with Cain,” Julian replied, then he ended the call.

“Your Mom's on her way up here right now. It's okay,” he assured him.

Molly went upstairs after ordering security to sweep the grounds and the road beyond. Luna had complained she wasn't tired yet, but Molly had told her, she had to go to bed_ now_. Julian looked tired and Molly knew he needed more rest, he slept so much and tired so easily since the surgery – but Cain wouldn't let go of him, until Penguin waddled in and held out a flipper.

“I'll sleep on your floor tonight, till your Dad gets back from his meeting,” Penguin said in a gruff voice, “No one will get past me, okay?”

Then Cain had finally agreed to go to his room knowing Penguin would keep him company. While this was happening, Josh had been liaising with security and as suspected, their sweep of the area came back clear. Now he stood on the upper floor of the house with Molly, who looked stressed and tired, she had enough to handle without_ this_ happening...

“You don't have to worry, Mrs Cobblepot,” Josh reminded her, “As you and Julian both said, it's most likely someone who opposes the unity pact – someone has been lax with security and your son's number got out. It could have been hacked – maybe his phone or his email, they stole his details.

Like your head of security suggested on the phone, maybe change Cain's number and make sure he keeps it confidential.”

She gave a sigh.

“He's a kid! He wants to talk to his friends, he wants to text them – he can't keep his number secret from everyone he knows.”

Then she saw a figure standing down the hallway. A youthful Jeremiah smiled brightly as he looked at her with murder in his eyes.

“I'm back, Molly!” he said with a giggle.

She ran her fingers through her hair and turned away from the hallucination.

“Oh great, that's all I feckin' need! I can see Jeremiah, he's laughing at me...”

“What does he look like?” Josh asked carefully.

Molly didn't look back at Jeremiah's mirage.

“He's in his twenties, face all garish like a clown... sort of. He's at the end of the hall.”

Josh looked up the hall. It was empty.

“There's no one there,” he assured her.

Molly saw a movement and turned her head. Jeremiah was licking an open razor. Then he lowered it to his side and turned for a bedroom door.

“Molly?” Josh said, “You don't have to worry, he's not real. You're hallucinating again.”

“I know that!” she said as fear crept into her voice, “But... He just went in my baby son's room!”

“_Molly!”_

It was too late. Molly had run for the nursery where Felix was sleeping.

Josh hurried after her.

Molly opened the door sharply to see Jeremiah standing in the middle of the room.

“_Get out of my way!”_ she yelled, and her hand went though him as he laughed. She knew her heart was still racing as she closed her hands over to the edge of the cot and looked down at Felix, who smiled in his sleep, then slept on.

“Molly,” Josh said, standing in the doorway, “I know he made you feel threatened but he's not real.”

“I know that,” she said in a low voice as she stepped away from the cot, standing on the rug in the middle of the room as she glared at her invisible enemy, “But I just put my hand right through him... and he's laughing at me!”

Josh stepped into the room, but a sudden strength came to her eyes as she toyed with a theory.

“No, stay back, it's okay. I think I can get rid of him...”

“_You can't get rid of me!”_ Jeremiah said as he glared at her, leaning in as he set his bright gaze on her coldly, _“Look at me, Molly! Remember that time I almost killed your husband? Now I'm here to kill you!”_

He was so real. Standing there younger than she recalled, looking solid as life as he toyed with an open razor.

“I'm going to have _so_ much fun destroying you!” he said darkly, “Maybe I'll send my people out to snatch your husband again and this time all you will find is a dead body! Then you can join him!”

Molly drew in a slow breath, remembering something that made all the difference:

_Her hand had passed right through him. He really was an illusion. _

“I'm not afraid of you any more!” she stated as Josh looked on, watching her speak to thin air, “You're _dead!_ This is just a hallucination – and if I have to go through this for another four weeks, I'll have no more of you! I'm sure I can dream up something _much_ better than the likes of you!”

It had already come to her as she started to smile. Jeremiah looked at her in confusion.

“_YOU MUST FEAR ME!” _he yelled in her face.

“_No!”_ Molly yelled.

She was remembering something: last summer in the garden, when Luna had been drawing a picture of her imaginary pet. She heard her daughter's voice run through her mid as she pictured it clearly:

“_She is big and white with a long flowing mane that sparkles. And she has a big, sharp horn on her head and her name is ….”_

Molly heard the thunder of hooves and laughed in triumph.

“_Flossie!”_ she said, jumping aside as the unicorn thundered into the room. It lowered its head, spearing Jeremiah as he gave a roar and exploded, shattering like glass and turning to dust. Molly had a big smile on her face as she stroked the mane of the unicorn. Her hand passed right through it but as she tried to touch the creature, sparkles filled the air. White and pink glitter. Of course, the same colours Luna had used on her picture...

“You can be my hallucination any time you like!” she said, and she laughed as the unicorn tossed its head back and a rainbow of glitter showered the room in sparkles.

Then, it was gone.

Molly laughed again as she tuned to Josh, who stood there bewildered.

“_I did it!”_ she said as she hugged him.

“Did what?” Josh asked as she let go.

“Valeska was my hallucination. So I borrowed Luna's imaginary unicorn to kill him!”

Molly was clearly overjoyed. All Josh had seen was Molly interacting with thin air. He looked about the room.

”Is the um..._ unicorn_ still in here?”

“No, she's gone now. But next time I hallucinate, I'll see Flossie. She got rid of Velaska, he's not coming back!”

Josh smiled politely. That had to be the strangest thing he had ever seen, Molly and her hallucinations...

“Well just in case he tries to, I'll stick around and we should keep to Oswald's plan to keep an eye on you until this is over,” he reminded her.

“I know that,” Molly said, distracted now as Felix stood up in his cot and _Mama_.

Josh left the room, leaving Molly to tend to Felix as he kept the door open in case any more hallucinations hit. But Molly was busy getting her baby son back to sleep as she leaned over the cot, smiling as she turned his mobile and spoke softly to him. Then Josh heard his phone ringing. He drew it from his pocket, the call was from Selina and now Molly seemed okay, he stood back in the hallway, keeping a watch on the open door as he quietly answered.

“Selina? You know I said no calls after Oswald leaves for the meeting! I just saw Molly hallucinate – it was crazy -”  
_“Josh, please just shut up and listen!”_

Selina sounded tearful

“What's wrong?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

“I just saw a newsflash on TV – Ivy has been arrested, she's been taken to Arkham pending trial! You have to talk to Oswald, make him help her, he has the power to _help_ her!”

“Selina, slow down!” Josh said quietly, “We'll figure something out. I'm sure word will get to the gang leaders meeting tonight. Oswald will think of something. But I can't do this right now, I'm needed here, I'm on duty!”

“_Promise me you'll help her!”_

“Of course I will!” Josh replied, “I have to go, I'll be home later...” he hung up, just as Molly left the nursery and joined him.

“You look worried. There's no need, Josh! I told you, I got rid of Valeska, I won't have any more scary hallucinations. Honestly, I feel fine!”

“I'm happy to hear that,” Josh replied, “But this isn't about your... personal matter. My wife just called, she was very upset. She said Ivy has been arrested. She's been taken to Arkham pending trial.”

Molly felt an ache in her heart as she recalled how Josh and Selina were in a relationship with Ivy. Before, she would have passed it off as a young couple being adventurous, fooling around with a friend – but not now she and Oswald and Julian were solidly held together by deepest love. She had a new perspective, she understood and she empathised.

“I'm sure Oswald will work something out to help her,” she said, “I can't speak for the underworld, but I know Oswald goes back a long way with Ivy, way back to the old days and he's treating Penguin like family too - so I'm sure it won't be a problem. He will come up with something.”

Josh nodded, thinking of Ivy and recalling how he had held her as she wept for her forest as it burned.

“Thank you,” he replied, “My wife and I will both be so grateful. We just want Ivy to be okay.”

“Oswald will do his best.” Molly promised.

The meeting of the gang leaders was _not_ going well. Oswald had been held up to start because Ed had been late. He had mentioned something about coming over to the house earlier, then he had called to cancel saying he was held up, and it was business. When Oswald had asked him why he was late after he had showed up outside the boardroom at Cobblepot Industries, Ed has stood there looking stressed as his hair fell in his eyes and he pushed it back and the glare from the well lit corridor outside the boardroom made his dark green suit shimmer.

“Why the hell are you late?” Oswald demanded, “We have a lot to cover before the city council meeting next week!”

Ed paused, swallowing hard. _He couldn't tell Oswald everything, not now, not here – and certainly not in the presence of other gang leaders. This was huge, it was too shocking to throw into the room at short notice..._

“I can't,” Ed replied.

Oswald looked up at him, his eyes shaded by the rim of his top hat, but that shade did nothing to soften the anger reflected in his eyes.

“_Excuse me?”_

“Not _now,_ Oswald!” Ed said urgently, “Let's just get this meeting over with, business as usual and then we can talk.”

“We will talk – as soon as we get into the limo!” Oswald replied sharply, then they went inside, joining the others gathered at the table as Ed remarked, “Gosh, I'm so late, what's the time?”

And someone at the other end of the table called out, _It's Riddle Time!_ And Ed had flashed a smile.

_The meeting had gone as planned. _

Then there had been a knock on the door and a note was passed to Oswald. He read it silently, then looked around the table.

“Ivy Pepper has been arrested. She was caught breaking into a chemical plant to steal some potentially dangerous material to feed her plants...She's being held in Arkham pending trial. And that, is for another time. This matter requires careful consideration. For now, we do _nothing_ to upset the balance of trust between us, the GCPD and the people of the city, is that understood?”

There were murmurs of assent around the table, then Oswald glanced at Ed.

“Is this what you wanted to tell me about?” he asked quietly.

Ed's face paled as he shook his head.

“No,” he whispered, “It's something_ far_ worse!”

And then Oswald turned his attention back to the meeting, all the while wondering what the hell Ed was talking about...

When the meeting was over Ed had left with Oswald, hoping to quietly drive away in Oswald's limo, where he could explain properly.

But there was a sea of press waiting outside as flashbulbs went off and reporters thrust microphones towards Oswald as they asked, _Mr Cobblepot, what is the underworld stance on the incarceration of terrorist Ivy Pepper?_

Oswald had paused, looking to the nearest microphone, and as he began to speak, the press fell silent.

“This is news to us,” Oswald stated, “We have only just heard of Miss Pepper's arrest. And it has been a long evening, I must bid you all goodnight.”

“_Mr Cobblepot!”_ said another reporter, leaning in as security politely raised an arm as a barrier, preventing the media from getting too close, _“Does the underworld plan to defend Poison Ivy? She was wanted on charges of terrorism post war, can the underworld condone defending her?”_

“The underworld has _no_ instruction on the matter,” Oswald replied, “This is unexpected news to all of us. Goodnight!”

Then as he turned his back and Ed hurried with him towards the waiting limo, more questions were called out, but then the door was opened by security and Oswald got in first followed by Ed, then the door was closed, shutting out the voices outside.

The car started up and they drove off into the night, as Oswald reached for a drink then offered one to Ed, who shook his head, still looking at Oswald with deep worry set in his gaze.

“What the hell is this about if it's nothing to do with Ivy?” Oswald demanded, “I have enough to worry about, with Molly pregnant and suffering hallucinations. Now I have to think long and hard if I should dare to risk dividing the unity of our people by offering Ivy immunity from prosecution! What could possibly be worse news for me, Ed?”

Ed paused, then he looked to the mini bar next to Oswald's seat.

“_I think I will have that drink,” _he replied nervously.

The limo drove on through the night, as Oswald sat there looking hard at Ed, who despite to comfort of the limo and the drink he had downed quickly, sat there looking like he was about to hyperventilate.

“What's this about, Ed?” Oswald demanded again.

Ed sipped from the glass - his second drink - and then met his gaze.

“First of all, it started as a business thing – she called me because she's taken over as governor of Arkham, and she wanted to run a few things by me, the running of the place, the improvements that had been made, stuff like that...” Ed shrugged, _“Next thing I know we're working late together and suddenly I'm fucking her over her desk...”_

Oswald took a slow breath, containing his temper as he weighed up the situation.

“Beth Crane. _My _ex mistress, who now runs Arkham. You're sleeping with her?”

“Yes, yes Oswald, I am having an affair with Beth.”

Oswald's eyes narrowed.

“Before I went to the meeting I left half a peanut butter sandwich in the kitchen, are you sure you don't want to help yourself to _that_ too, Edward?”

Ed took a sharp breath, looking down at his drink, then he finished the rest of it, bracing himself for Oswald's impending lecture.

“You are a married man, you have kids, Ed! Why can't you keep it in your pants?”

“She's hot, she's Beth Crane!”

Oswald gave a sigh, shaking his head at the thought of how he had once fallen for her charms, her Marilyn Monroe looks and that hourglass figure...

“I'm not saying this because I feel envy – I do not! I regret my affair with Beth, I was at a low point in my life at the time, I was sick and I was facing a murder charge and she was there! But I have_ no_ lingering feelings for Miss Crane. That is in the past. As much as I appreciate your confession, Ed – our long-standing friendship and all that has gone between us in the old days will not come into my decision if this affair ever goes public. You serve the underworld in a position of great responsibility and we have to work hard to ensure we remain scandal – free. If this gets out, you're off the city council and back to making press announcements on behalf of the underworld.”

Ed's jaw dropped.

“How can you say that? You're fucking Molly_ and_ Julian!”

Oswald glared at him.

“My relationship with _my_ wife and_ our_ lover is consensual, a three way relationship held together by love! There are_ no_ lies or deception! You are having an illicit affair! There is a _huge_ difference, Edward!”

Ed fell silent for a moment. Oswald was right, of course he was right on this – he and Molly and Julian shared a life together. That was nothing like his own situation, sneaking off to find excuses to visit Beth to fuck her behind Lee's back...

“I suggest you end this affair,” Oswald replied, _“And when the head of the underworld makes a suggestion, you should damned well take it as an order!”_

Ed glared back at his oldest friend.

“That matter aside, Beth uncovered _this _from an old, locked up archive of forgotten, dusty files... A former governor wanted this buried, Oswald. Beth found it and her reaction was to contact me as underworld representative. She didn't call the GCPD. She said when the time is right to expose this outrage, it should come from the underworld, let the people see how they can stand up for what's right in this city. I agree, too – and this can only be handled, ultimately – by you.”

He drew a case file from his jacket and thrust it into his hands. The limo took a steep corner then carried on moving down the road, Oswald had instructed the driver to drop off Ed outside his house before proceeding back to the mansion. Ed sat there saying nothing, helping himself to another drink as Oswald opened up the case file and his eyes widened at the content:  
_This document was several years old._

_And the secret it held made his blood turn to ice:_

According to the contents, Jeremiah Velaska had been captured by Batman after a fight at Ace Chemicals, during this fight Velaska had fallen into a vat of acidic substance, causing burns all over his body... he had been taken to Arkham, and escaped soon after.

There were notes enclosed, stating that Batman had returned to Arkham demanding to know why the GCPD and the press and the underworld had not been make aware of Velaska's capture. The (then) governor, who had since passed away, had stated that to announce Velaska's capture then to add he was escaped and on the run would have caused a public panic, and secrecy was necessary to avoid this. Batman had demanded the governor speak to the GCPD but the governor had refused, stating the injuries Velaska received would be bad for the Bat's reputation – not to mention the loss of faith the city would have in Arkham, to keep its most dangerous inmates under lock and key. It was also added that due to Velaska's injuries, it was thought likely he would not have lived long after his escape.

_Likely,_ Oswald thought, _But not impossible..._

_He couldn't say a word about this yet to anyone. That small chance that Velaska was alive threw a while new light on Luna's creepy clown story. Highly unlikely – but not impossible... For now, he would say nothing – not until the four weeks were up and Molly's hallucinations had ceased. Then he would present this to the gang leaders and they would take a vote on it. That vote, he felt sure, would be unanimous that he hand this folder to the CGCPD and to the press too. Sharing information was key to the unity pact's healthy survival. There could be no secrets over this..._

_There was something else he would have to do, too._

_Before he revealed this information to the public, he would have to meet with the Bat to warn him that nasty fight with Velaska was about to be uncovered..._

_What a fucking mess._

_The only positive to come out of this, was that the revealing of this secret would cast the underworld in a favourable light. And prove a great distraction from the sticky political situation regarding Ivy Pepper...Assuming the uncovering of this secret was received well..._

“What are we going to do, Oswald?” Ed asked, looking at him nervously.

“_YOU_ are going to do nothing,” Oswald instructed, “Go home to Lee, forget about this file. I will be dealing with this in the appropriate manner a few weeks from now. I'll try and bring it out around the time the paperwork can be processed for Ivy. Maybe we can help her. It all depends how the public reacts to this revelation about Arkham covering up the biggest security breach and threat to public safety since Gotham fell. And end your liaison with Miss Crane if you want to keep your job!”

The limo stopped outside Ed's house.

“You really want me to end it with Beth? But … she's Beth! I'm crazy about her, Oswald!”

“Goodnight, Edward,” Oswald said firmly, then Ed got out and closed the door and the limo pulled away.

As the car finally started on its way back to the mansion, Oswald gave a heavy sigh. This file on Velaska and his escape would be shocking news, a real bombshell to drop on the city, for the people and the GCPD...It had to be handled right, and certainly not yet, because to suggest to Molly that Velaska could still be alive would only make her hallucinations worse...

Oswald arrived home and wasted no time, advising his security staff to stay on high alert until advised otherwise. He explained he just wanted to step up security, and then he was told about the phone call. Molly and Julian had both agreed that it was most likely a fanatic that opposed the unity pact, and he nodded in agreement, hoping they were right. It did seem the most likely answer, given the fact that medical opinion had been that Jeremiah was unlikely to have survived long after his escape from Arkham.

Oswald said nothing about the file, hiding it away securely in the safe. Molly seemed fine after claiming to have killed the imaginary Velaska with a hallucination of Luna's unicorn – but he doubted that would last long if she knew there was a slim possibly Velaska still lived...

He had gone upstairs, pausing to look in on his son, who was sleeping soundly. He thanked Penguin for watching over him, then left his son to sleep, deciding to talk to him in the morning. Cain would be fine after a few reassuring words. His next plan was to call the GCPD in the morning. He was still furious with Jim for forcing information from April, and supporting the capture and arrest of Ivy Pepper, but at a time like this, the GCPD could be useful. _When they found the creep who had called his son, hopefully they would lock him up in Blackgate, where he wouldn't last long thanks to underworld contacts on the inside. No one scared his child and lived to tell the tale..._

Josh returned home just after one am. The house was in darkness and as he reached the top of the stairs, he saw the lamp was on in the bedroom giving off a soft glow, the door was ajar and he smiled, glad to be home, ready to put his arms around Selina and console her. She had sounded devastated after learning of Ivy's arrest... He went into the bedroom quietly, just as Selina raised her head from the pillow.

“How was tonight?” she asked, blinking away sleep.

Josh began to strip off his suit as she sat up, smiling, instantly brought out of her sad thoughts of Ivy locked away now she had set her sights on his naked body.

“Molly had a hallucination about Velaska. Then she imagined her daughter's imaginary unicorn killing him. It was crazy! I was standing there in the room, watching her interact with... nothing! But if it works, maybe her worries are over...” Josh got into bed, joining Selina, then he looked at her as worry reflected in his gaze.

“There was something else tonight. Cain got a scary call. Some creepy guy threatened to kill him and his family.”

“He's just a kid, who would do something so sick?” Selina exclaimed.

“I know, it's sick,” Josh agreed, “But Julian and Oswald seem to think it could be someone who opposes the unity pact, who somehow got hold of Cain's phone number. Oswald's thinking about bringing the GCPD in on this.”

“That could be a good idea,” Selina agreed, “But I hope he doesn't ask Jim Gordon for help... not after what he did, using April to get information, then sitting back totally okay about Ivy getting locked up in Arkham!”

“But he's a cop,” Josh reminded her, “he's just doing his job, like the underworld are doing theirs.”

A sudden flicker of worry came to Selina's eyes.

“What's Oswald going to do about Ivy? Have you asked him yet?”

Josh paused, thinking about the events of that night – Molly's hallucination, then Oswald, worried for his son after that anonymous phone call.

“Now wasn't the right time to ask,” he told her, “He had a lot to handle tonight.”

“_But he's Oswald! He can handle anything!”_

“This is about his family,” Josh reminded her.

Selina blinked away tears as her heart ached for Ivy.

“And Ivy is family too – underworld family!”

“He's not stated that, Selina. No one has ever said Poison Ivy is part of the Underworld family of this city. She's been away for years, the city burned her plants and she left! She still has those charges hanging over her! It's a mess. I don't know what can be done for the best, but the person to handle this is Oswald – and he needs to do it in his own good time, his way.”

“While Ivy sits locked in a cell in Arkham?”

It pained his heart to see his usually tough wife so tearful. His heart ached for Ivy too, but it was out of their hands. He brushed a tear from Selina's face then kissed her softly.

“We can't visit her or call her. We have to stay right out of this for her sake. She has to sit tight and wait just like we do! And I will talk to Oswald, I'm not back at the house tomorrow – it's Jax Sterling's turn to guard Molly, tomorrow - I'm back there the day after. When I go back, as long as he's not drinking whilst his stress levels go through the roof over the sicko who called his son, I will speak to him, okay?”

“Promise?”

“Yes, I promise,” Josh said softly, then he turned out the light and drew Selina into his arms as she lay beside him in the dark, holding him tightly.

This was not the homecoming he had hoped for after her playful call earlier in the day, but since then, her heart had been broken at the thought of Ivy facing the prospect of spending the rest of her days in Arkham. And if he was honest with himself, his own heart was aching too for poor Ivy. She wasn't the monster the press made her out to be. He had known and loved her just as Selina did and he knew a very different side to Ivy Pepper. He didn't doubt she was locked in that cell crying for her lost plants and for her lost liberty as she wondered if she would ever be free again, and if she would ever see her adopted son again.

Penguin had briefly mentioned Ivy's incarceration to Oswald when he returned home, looking at him with small, dark eyes filled with hope that Oswald would intervene:

“_She is like a mother to me,” Penguin had said as he stood there looking at him, gripping one flipper in the other as he held them close to his chest._

“_Yes, I know that,” Oswald had agreed, “And the matter will be handled correctly at the right time... diplomacy is the key here, Penguin. I'm asking you to be patient.” _

That answer had been enough for Penguin, who clearly, like Selina, had faith in Oswald to set her free. Josh didn't know how Oswald intended to handle this. Ivy had been demonised by the press and standing up for her could be bad for underworld relations with the authorities – and perhaps even the people of Gotham, too...

Selina was sleeping deeply when Josh heard his phone ring. He reached over and picked it up quickly, careful not to wake Selina as he answered the call quietly.

“Hello, Josh speaking.”

“Josh, this is Fish Mooney. Molly spoke to me yesterday about a matter that has been quite upsetting – I was meaning to call before but I had paperwork to finish for the gang leader's meeting tonight, I passed them on to a colleague to attend on my behalf as I was tied up with business of my own – I've only just wrapped up my own business for the night. I apologise for the lateness of this call. Someone told Luna about the incident with myself and Oswald many years back when I broke his leg?”

Josh turned on his side, shifting away form Selina has he kept his voice low.

“Miss Mooney – yes, she mentioned that to me. I asked her who said it and she claimed it was her imaginary friend.”

Fish gave a heavy sigh.

“Thank you for asking her about it. I now have to think of a way to explain to my daughter. Clearly, she must have heard it from a classmate at school. I'm going over to the house this weekend to speak to her, perhaps she will tell me who said it. Thank you for your time. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Miss Mooney,” Josh replied, and the call ended.

Josh turned his phone off and settled down beside Selina, who turned over and draped her arm around him as she slept on. While Selina slept well, Josh did not as he turned it all over in his mind:

Everything Luna had said about her clown friend, the imaginary friend who had a shadow, who had told her dark secrets from her family past, all pointed to that clown being anything but imaginary. The only thing he could be sure about was the fact that Molly's hallucination of a young Velaska was definitely not real.

As for the rest, there seemed to be so much more going on, and when he returned to the house, he was going to take a look around, because he was sure he saw something in the hallway, he had heard footsteps and even though Oswald was convinced it had been a trick of the light, Josh was certain it was not. But he would need proof that Luna's clown friend was real – solid evidence – before Oswald believed it too...


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Oswald felt uneasy that morning, sitting alone in his study, picking up the phone to call Jim Gordon. All he could think about was how Jim had forced April to talk about Ivy, and then how he had sat back doing nothing while Arkham held her prisoner. But the call had to be made – he had a political storm brewing with the Ivy situation and later, when the news was broken that Velaska's capture, then escape had been hushed up, he didn't doubt it would take all of his skill to prevent major trouble over this long kept secret. He had enough to handle, the cops could find the malicious caller...

“Oswald,” said Jim as he answered, “What can I do for you?”

“I'm going to lay aside the Ivy Pepper matter for now,” Oswald replied, “This is separate, it's a personal matter that requires police attention. My son has been terrified by a malicious caller who threatened to kill my family. I am_ very_ sure this was not a prank and I'm asking for your assistance.”

There was a stunned silence on the other end of the line.

“If you want the GCPD to handle this matter instead of your own people, I''d be happy to help in the interests of unity,” Jim replied, “Tell me exactly what happened...”

Oswald explained.

Jim listened, and then he spoke again.

“I can help you catch the guy if you agree to have a police link tapped into your son's phone. It would make it easier to record the caller's voice and try and trace the call. I'd advise the same for your house phone too - if you're okay with the cops listening in.”

Oswald chuckled.

“I bet you'd _love _to do that! Well, the house phone can be tapped – I have no objection. I put _my_ business calls through my cell phone, and you will _not_ be touching that!”

“I can arrange for the phones to be set up today as priority,” Jim told him, “And if the caller gets back to your son again, tell Cain to try and keep him talking – he could give something away to reveal his identity or location.”

“I'd certainly like_ that _information!” Oswald said darkly.

“Well, it's your kid, so I don't blame you for feeling that way,” Jim replied, “But ultimately, you're the target, presumably because you're head of the underworld. And once this matter is in our hands, it's going to be dealt with by the law, not the underworld. I don't doubt he will call the house phone next. Can you think of anyone specific who might have a grudge?”

“I'm Oswald Cobblepot,” he reminded him, “I've lost count of how many enemies I made, especially in the old days... but most of my enemies are dead.”

“I'll get the phones linked in to our system today,” Jim reminded him, “If anything happens in the meantime and you want the assistance of the GCPD, we're happy to help as always.”

“Thank you Jim,” Oswald replied, then he ended the call.

He was still thinking about what he had just said, about enemies. It was true, most of his enemies were dead – including Velaska. Assuming Velaska _was_ dead... _No, he had to be dead._ Oswald held on to that thought as he poured a drink, calming frayed nerves as he decided after the upset Cain had been through, a quiet family evening was in order. He drew his phone from his pocket and called security.

“This is Oswald,” he said, “I'm restricting security to the perimeter of the grounds and want all internal cameras off tonight, my family are spending the evening together and we require absolute privacy...”

Up in the attic, Jeremiah smiled as he finished recording his statement, then he took out the earpiece.

“Jackpot!” he said as amusement danced in his eyes.

This was perfect. Now he had the means to banish security from the house, for the whole night. He could sit back and pick the day of his attack, playing that message as he called security. The call would appear to come from Oswald... But wouldn't be today, because he had something else to do first, he had to pick someone up... an old friend of Oswald's would soon be joining him, to play his part in his plans for revenge... This was a _very_ important part of his plan to get to the family, one by one. Oswald would be horrified to learn he had abducted Ed Nygma, who would be bleeding to death by the time Oswald found out what was really going on around here...

Molly and Penguin stood in Julian's room, exchanging a worried glance. They had just helped him to stand on his new treadmill, and he was standing okay, as long as he used his upper body strength to hold on to the hand rails...

“I think he will fall on his ass,” Penguin said quietly, touching the tips of his flippers together.

“I think you're right, but he won't listen,” Molly replied.

Julian let go with one hand, leaning hard on the other as his legs shook and he started the treadmill at the slowest speed. Molly watched as he held on to the rail tightly, his unsteady legs trying to keep pace, he made three steps and lost his balance, fell to his knees and slid off on to the carpet with a thump.

“Julian!” Molly said as she hurried over and helped him up, “I think you should stop now!”

He was barely standing as he leaned against her, then put a hand on Penguin's shoulder as he joined them.

“No, I'm going again,” he said.

“Oh, for fucks sake!” Molly said in despair, as he turned the machine back on, took several more steps, then fell to his knees and on to the floor with a thump yet again.

As she went over to Julian and looked down at him, she felt confused as he looked up at her and laughed.

“It's not funny!” she said, “I don't want to watch you falling over! You'll be covered in bruises, love!”

“No, you don't understand,” he said as Molly offered a hand then Penguin offered a flipper and he grasped both and then leaned against them, “I used to have a blind spot in the corner of my left eye, it happened because of the surgery. Since I've been spending time on my lap top and my phone, reading, writing emails, I can see better. The blind spot is getting smaller. If I stop reading for a few days, the blind spot comes back. Do you see what I'm saying, Molly?”

As she and Penguin helped him back to the treadmill, she shook her head.

“No, I don't understand, Julian! Maybe your eye isn't as bad as you first thought...”

“No Molly,” he said, breathing hard as he paused to steady himself as he grasped the handrails, “I called River. She said the remaining copy cells can't quite fire up to make the final pathways... they build with practise, then I stop practising, and they collapse and I have to start again. That means, if I read every day, I keep the blind spot away. And if I walk every day...”

“You can learn to walk again? River actually said that?”

“Well, not exactly,” Julian told her, “River doesn't know if I'll walk again. But it's working with my eye. This is why I have to keep trying.”

Molly looked on as her heart ached, watching him struggle to stay upright long enough to start the machine again.

“Oh Julian,” Molly said, “There's a huge difference between a tiny blind spot in your eye, and making your legs work again!”

“Time will tell,” Julian replied.

As the machine started he held on, focussing hard on each step. Then he fell to his knees and slid off, hitting the carpet again.

Molly shook her head.

“You can't walk, you need a wheelchair, so you're now trying to use a feckin' treadmill! I can't believe the father of my baby is that stupid! I'm starting to wonder if this kid will turn out as daft as you! Please stop!”

“I can do this, Molly...”

Julian reached for a nearby chair, then the table, and hauled himself back to his feet, his legs shaking as he stood there, determined to keep his balance.

“You'll hurt yourself!”

“She may be right,” Penguin said cautiously.

“I'm not giving up.” Julian replied, and reached for the hand rail as Penguin quickly stepped in, helping him back on to the machine.

Julian tried and fell off three more times then finally listened to Molly, lying down on his bed as aches and pains flickered through his lower body. Molly leaned over him, kissing his cheek, then she told him to rest and said she would bring him some tea.

As she and Penguin left the room and Molly closed the door behind them, she blinked away tears.

“He has to stop this,” she said as they walked away, “I can't bear it, Penguin! He's hurting himself!”

“Perhaps not,” Penguin replied, pausing at the top of the stairs as he thought about it, touching the tips of his flippers together as he looked intently at Molly.

“What do you mean?” she demanded, “He's falling over! He can't do this!”

“But his eyes improve if he reads,” Penguin reminded her, “Maybe River's theory about the remaining copy cells are right. Maybe Julian is right too. Perhaps if he walks everyday, he will get out of that chair. He's certainly determined. And did you notice, the first time he tried, he took three steps and fell, but the the last attempt saw him take _eight_ steps?”

Molly felt her heart warm through with love and admiration for brave Julian, who refused to give up.

“Maybe you're right,” she agreed, “I want you to be right, Penguin.”

They went downstairs, heading for the front room as Penguin waddled beside her.

“Should I speak to Oswald about Ivy today?” he asked, “I am so keen to see her released.”

She saw a flicker of sadness in Penguin's small dark eyes, and she placed a hand on his arm, patting it gently.

“I'm sure Oswald will handle this when the time is right, we have to trust him to do it his way, he's head of the underworld and he's already said he will see what he can do. You just have to be patient, Penguin.”

He nodded.

“Yes, I shall leave the matter with Oswald. But I miss Ivy. I wish I could see her!”

“No one is allowed to visit or contact her,” Molly replied, “For now, we have to abide by those rules. It won't be for much longer, I'm sure. Oswald knows what he's doing.”

“Yes, I have faith in Oswald,” Penguin said with a smile, then he turned away and waddled off towards the kitchen to pack a lunch because he was planning to take Felix to the park. As Molly watched him waddle away, she felt sad for Penguin, who clearly missed Ivy more than he cared to say. Molly hoped Oswald could intervene – but ultimately, it was not her decision to make...

A short while later, Penguin had put Felix in the car and made the drive to the local park. He had pushed him on the swing and then helped him up the slide and caught him at the bottom of the slide and then he had pushed him on the swing again. Then as Felix played in the sand pit, Penguin had sat down on a bench and excitedly took his packed lunch from a bag.

“I've been looking forward to this all morning!” he announced as his flippers began to unwrap his big pile of sandwiches.

The young woman who had sat down on the other end of the bench to take a pause on her walk through the park looked at him oddly. He smiled broadly and opened up a flipper as he spoke again.

“I know you!_ Iris!_ I saw your picture on the wall in the Cobblepot house. I live there now, Oswald Cobblepot is my father.”

Iris blinked in surprise:

_This short, round, odd looking man was Oswald's son? _

“I know, it seems impossible,” Penguin added, “But I was made in a lab from Oswald's stolen DNA. It's a long story, I was rescued from the lab as a boy and raised by Ivy Pepper.”

Iris was still looking at him, taking in the sight of his unusual features and flipper hands. Then a smell reached her nose.... _Oh god no, had he just farted?_ She edged away, up tight against the end of the bench. Then she realised where the smell had come from as he thrust his partly unwrapped lunch towards her.

“Would you like a boiled egg sandwich?” he asked, “I think they got a little warm in the car.”

She smiled and shook her head.

“No, it's okay, I'm not hungry,” she replied.

“More for me, then!” he said, and his flipper dived in and pulled out a sandwich.

“My name is Penguin Cobblepot,” he told her, “And it's nice to meet you, Iris.”

She was still smiling. His appearance, at first, had been startling – but here he was, offering her his smelly sandwiches as his dark eyes sparkled warmly and Felix played a short distance away, waving to him as he laughed with the other kids and played in the sand. Clearly, there was something likeable about Penguin. She felt more relaxed now, as she sat there and he ate his sandwiches, even though the boiled egg smell was coming her way thanks to the direction of the otherwise fresh breeze.

“You used to date Julian,” he said, “What happened?”

Iris paused, sadness briefly shading her gaze.

“Too much,” she replied, “We had a past that we couldn't get over, things that had happened long ago... it broke us up. But I hope he's doing okay?”

Penguin finished another sandwich.

“He's very well,” he replied, “He's better now - in a wheelchair, but otherwise, he's fine.”

“I'm glad he's doing well,” Iris managed a smile, “I really do hope he's happy.”

“He is,” Penguin told her, “But what about you, Iris? Are you okay?” as he asked that he looked at her intently, opening a flipper as he waited for her answer.

“I'm just getting on with life,” she replied, “On my own again, but sometimes we have to be alone, right?”

“Yes,” Penguin agreed, “I was raised in a forest with Ivy. It was okay being by myself but sometimes, it got lonely. I realise now just how lonely I used to be. It's amazing what the company of others can do, to make a person realise what they've missed out on...”

Just then Felix called to Penguin and he said _Excuse me_ and got up and waddled over to Felix, pausing to clean sand from his hands before leading him back over to the bench. Iris watched as Penguin helped Felix with his lunch and the little boy laughed as he babbled on about his fun in the sand pit. It was clear although Penguin looked different, he was a kind and caring person, and got on well with Oswald and Molly's little boy. Penguin then gave Felix his sippy cup and while he sat on the grass watching the playground as he drank from it, Penguin opened up a flask of tea and poured some out. Iris ended up staying there for another hour, talking to Penguin as they shared his flask. Then he told Felix it was time to go home, and Iris walked with him to the car as he carried tired little Felix in his arms. She watched as Penguin carefully strapped him into his car seat, then he closed the door and turned back to Iris.

“Perhaps I'll see you again. I'll be here with Felix tomorrow.”

And Iris found herself smiling and nodding as she decided yes, she would definitely be here tomorrow to meet the fascinating Mr Penguin. He was not the kind of man she had ever expected to take such a liking to. But there was something about him, something she saw beneath his odd exterior – he had a good heart and a kind soul. She liked his gruff laugh and the way his eyes sparkled when he smiled.

“Yes, I'll be here tomorrow,” she said.

Penguin smiled broadly as his eyes shone warmly.

“I like to think today I've made a new friend, “ he said, “Even though we may seem, to others like an odd combination, as I am rather unusual!”

“I think you're a nice person,” Iris said honestly, “I'm glad we met, Penguin.”

His flippers twitched as he wondered if she could progress to becoming his girlfriend - at last, a girlfriend!

“A chance encounter that has led to a friendship!” he said with a smile, opening his flippers, “Like a fairytale!”

“Do...you... um... do you mean like Beauty and the Beast?” she asked, feeling confused.

Penguin leaned closer, his eyes warm and twinkling as he smiled broadly.

“Iris,” he said softly, “Don't be so hard on yourself. You're actually quite pretty!”

As she looked at him wide eyed, he nodded, then patted her arm with his flipper.

“You're definitely _not_ a beast!” he confirmed, then he got into his car and drove away as she stared after him.

Then she thought about the misunderstanding and laughed. Penguin was such a sweet and funny guy. She would definitely be here tomorrow, to share tea with him and maybe this time she would share his smelly sandwiches, too.

The next two days passed by uneventfully.

The press called several times asking Oswald's take on the Ivy Pepper situation, and were told there was no comment to be made. By now Cain's phone and the house phone were being monitored by the GCPD, and Oswald had reminded all of the family not to discuss anything sensitive on the house phone and to be aware that their calls might also be hacked by persons unknown.

_But Jeremiah was biding his time._

He had been downstairs to take food from the kitchen, and into the study to drink Oswald's booze. He had heard Oswald ask Penguin if he had been drinking his scotch, and the gruff voice that replied so emphatically, _No I have not,_ made Jeremiah giggle. In this busy house, no one had realised he was here, in the attic, making night time trips downstairs to indulge. He had watched through the hole in the ceiling as Oswald spread Molly's legs and gave her oral that made her squirm like she was possessed. She came hard all over his face and then he got on top and fucked her, and Jeremiah had stopped watching. He wanted to see pussy, not fat old Oswald on top of his wife... And they had laid together afterwards, Molly talking about the baby. Julian's baby. Jeremiah had hoped to see the three of them in action together – at least, to see Molly fucked by two men at once. But it seemed they kept their three way out of the marital bedroom, no doubt to keep their dirty secret from the rest of the family...

_Well, _Jeremiah concluded with a smirk as malice shone in his gaze, _that would change soon enough. He would tell the family all about their little threesome, right before he killed them._

“_You're wasting your time planning for that kid,”_ he said in a low voice as he relaxed by the glow of the electric fire in the attic, _“That baby won't be born. You're all going to die...”_

It was Jax Sterling's turn to attend the house to watch over Molly. Or, as Josh had put it, it was his turn to do the easiest job in the world – just hang around the Cobblepot mansion all day, doing nothing. Since Molly had used the imagined unicorn to kill the hallucination of Velaska, she had spotted Flossie galloping about the grounds of the mansion – something she had told Jax excitedly, as he smiled and said, “Of course, Mrs Cobblepot, if you say so... but we know the unicorn isn't real.”

“I wish it was,” Molly said with a smile, her hand on her belly as she thought of the miracle that was growing inside her.

Then Oswald had called Jax into his study and Molly had gone upstairs to spend some time with Julian. Penguin was busy in the kitchen, his favourite place, because that was where the food was kept – and the kids were at school and young Felix was having a nap. It was a perfect time for Oswald to talk in depth to his General...

“Have a seat, Mr Sterling,” Oswald said, sounding very official about it and rather stressed, too.

Jax sat down and looked intently at his boss.

“You seem troubled, sir – if you don't mind me saying so. If you do mind I will shut up and respectfully mind my own business,” he smiled politely.

“I need to explain something to you,” Oswald began, “Julian is not my son. He is not a relative of mine at all. I faked that tale to save him from Shepard Lambrick after I saved him from the asylum. Julian is family, but not in the way you might think – he's actually part of a three way relationship with Molly and myself.”

Jax blinked, stunned at this news.

“Well... that's none of my business, sir. But three way partnerships are not uncommon in these enlightened times.”

“And Molly is pregnant. The baby is Julian's. I have a few... serious political matters to handle first. But when they are resolved, I was thinking about making an announcement before the birth. I would like you to prepare a list of respected city magazines and newspapers who will run a respectful article laid out with full explanation as to why I led the city to believe Julian was a Cobblepot. I want them to know exactly what he went through, what I saved him from and why we decided to lay out the false story that he was my son. I will be relying on you to handle the press over this matter and to ensure the facts are laid out clearly, and of course, we must make it clear no deception on my part was intended to harmfully mislead the people of the city. It was a measure set in place to protect Mr Lambrick when he was sick and vulnerable.”

Jax nodded.

“You have my absolute support on this, sir.”

“Thank you,” he replied, “And now I must share more information with you. It is, please pardon my language, a potential shit storm!”

He handed a dusty old Arkham file across the desk. Jax opened it and began to read, his expression briefly turning shocked as he took in the facts.

“_They captured then lost Velaska and no one knew?”_

“Indeed,” Oswald replied, pouring a glass of scotch for Jax and then himself, “I'm going to wait until the four weeks have passed and Molly is clear of the risk of hallucination before I blow this wide open to underworld, the GCPD and the media. We have the full backing of the new governor of Arkham, it was Beth Crane who uncovered this secret.”

“It says here,” Jax replied, looking up from the file, “That Batman was the one who apprehended Valeska... he was responsible for the accident that saw Valeska burned in the chemical vat. But it's clear it was an accident, and it's also clear the Bat wanted to go public on Jeremiah;s capture and escape. It seems Arkham talked him out of it and he didn't want to cause a panic by blowing the whistle.”

“He's a vigilante, he's not a part of the pact,” Oswald reminded him, “He can stand in neutral territory. I will need to arrange a meeting with him before this goes public. I would be expected to contact the GCPD as he prefers to work through their channels, but I want to keep the cops out of this for now. I'd just like to speak with him in advance before I go public with the Arkham scandal, give him time to make his own statement. I haven't forgotten the times he's intervened when my men have been in trouble - he also offered to help in the second war with Bane. I owe him this much.”

Jax nodded.

“And Selina has known the Bat for many years. So I should perhaps talk to Josh and his wife and ask if Selina could possibly request arranging a meeting?”

“Excellent, Jax, thank you,” Oswald replied, “And I know as always, I can rely on you and Josh to be discreet. I have no doubt Selina will say nothing of this matter too. I will need to meet with him within the next two weeks. Please don't disclose to Josh or Selina what this is about, it's important that for now, just you and I know about the Arkham matter.”

Jax nodded.

“Absolutely, Mr Penguin, sir. I shall arrange it and you can rely on my discretion,” Jax assured him.

Upstairs, Molly had expected to find Julian resting in bed, but he was up, dressed and in his chair, ready to go out.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“I'm going to stop by and see River at the clinic,” Julian told her, “Then I'm coming home. I might stop off somewhere else first, have a coffee. Penguin's driving me.”

“I'll come with you,” she offered.

“No!”

He had said that a little too sharply as he ran his fingers through his hair then turned from the mirror, and it was then Mole saw it: He was anxious about something. His face was pale and he was on edge.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, feeling instantly concerned for Julian, who had been through enough in his long and tiring battle to regain his life.

“No,” Julian said, forcing a smile, “I just want River's opinion on my progress, and on my theory that the more I practise, the better I get. I can walk a little on the treadmill now. It's better than when I first tried it - and that was only a couple of days ago.”

Molly gave a sigh as she went over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder as she leaned closer.

“And your legs are covered in bruises. You've got muscle pain and you ache all over from standing up, then falling on your arse! You can't do this, sweetheart. Please stop. I don't want you to put yourself through this. River will say, you need to stop. Listen to her!”

“I will listen to her once she's seen my scan results. She's scanning me today.”

“Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?” Molly asked again.

“I'll be fine,” Julian smiled, leaned closer and kissed her softly, then he put hand gently on her belly.

“Look after the little Leprechaun for me. I won't be gone long.”

Then he wheeled his chair out of the room, heading for the elevator. Molly looked to the treadmill, hating the sight of it as she recalled the day before when she and Oswald had shared a morning in Julian's bed. His legs were peppered with bruises from his numerous falls. She hated that treadmill, and couldn't wait for him to come back and tell her River said he was wasting his time, so he could get rid of the bloody thing and stop hurting himself...

Penguin was waiting by the car when Julian left the house. By now Julian was very nervous – and it was nothing to do with the scan results at the clinic. As Penguin helped him into the car, he placed a flipper on the shoulder of his jacket and spoke to him quietly.

“Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?”

Julian shook his head

“No,” he replied, “I have to do this meeting alone.”

“What ever, I'll drop you off at the cafe and pick you up when you call me and we can head over to the clinic,” he replied, then he folded Julian's chair, put it in the car and waddled around to the drivers side.

As the car drove away from the mansion, Julian felt anxious. After that call from the anonymous bastard who had reminded him of his past and said such terrible things, he had looked up the woman the caller had mentioned – the one he had attacked, his first victim, who he had pursued a year before meeting Iris at one of his fathers dinner parties. Her name was Grace, and Julian recalled little of attacking her because the virus had just been implanted into his brain, the whole evening was a blur, but he recalled her face, she was in her thirties, she had a shapely figure.

In his state of mind at the time, he had watched her as he sat there, getting horny, wanting to take her like an animal... he had attacked her and pinned her to a wall, and only her screams had saved her when his father's staff had come to her aid. He knew it was the Tetch virus that had made him do it, just like with Iris a year later – but now Grace lived in Gotham. She had survived that night because Shepard had apologised for his son's terrible behaviour, paid her off a generous sum and even spared her life allowing her to walk away from his deadly game.

Julian wasn't doing this because the caller had told him about her. He was doing this because that information had allowed him to trace her. He had emailed her, risking everything, risking Oswald's reputation by telling her the truth, that if Julian Cobblepot looked familiar, that was because he was Julian Lambrick, the man who had tried to rape her...

He had explained his actions were the result of infection with the Tetch virus. He had told her about his incarceration against his will at Ashecliffe and the five years of torture he had been put through. He had sent proof of his years of fighting the virus, then fighting the reactivated scar tissue. He had even shared pictures he had never wanted anyone to see, of him post surgery, to show her he was cured, and what he had gone through to get there. He had told her he understood if she didn't want to see him.

_He would understand if she hated him._

_But he wanted to apologise._

Julian knew he was taking a hell of a gamble as the car headed into the city. He had told the truth about himself to a woman he had once attacked.

If she didn't forgive him, there was nothing stopping her taking all of this to the press – and that would be a huge scandal on the Cobblepot family, as Oswald knew nothing about this... He never wanted to do anything to hurt those he loved, but he needed to lay a ghost of the past to rest...

He was shaking inside as they pulled up outside the cafe that had an outside area that overlooked the river. Penguin got his chair out of the car and helped him into it. He noticed Julian looked a nervous wreck and asked if he was sure he didn't want him to come with him, but Julian told him he would be fine, then he headed towards the cafe as Penguin reminded him to call him when he needed a ride, then the car drove away.

Julian decided to take a table outside that had a great view of the river. Also several other people had tables nearby and that made him feel more comfortable – he didn't know if she was afraid of him, but he was certainly no match for her if she hated him enough to attack him, stuck in this wheelchair. It had suddenly occurred to him that he shouldn't have done this without Oswald's knowledge... Then a woman approached his table and as he looked up at her, he realised she was familiar. Her hair was red and fell to her shoulders, her eyes were dark and she wore a white business suit. He didn't recall her dressing so formally the night he attacked her, she had been a few years younger then, too. But it was definitely her. It surprised him that he saw no trace of hatred in her eyes.

“Hello Julian,” said Grace.

Across the other side of the city, as Julian began what he feared would be an awkward conversation, another secret conversation was going on. But this conversation was over the phone, as Selina grabbed a window of opportunity while Josh was at work, and called Arkham asking to speak to Ivy Pepper. Her guts twisted into knots, remembering no one was supposed to make contact, that was what Oswald had said...But her heart was aching. And when she said she was an underworld legal representative, she was put on hold.

“_So what if I'm lying?”_ she muttered as she waited to be connected, _“Oswald's going to help her anyway, he won't leave her in there...”_

She had left a false name, hoping she would be believed – and to her surprise, she was. It was a long wait, then Ivy spoke on the phone.

“Finally? Oswald's helping me?”

“I don't know, Ivy! It's me, it's Selina! Josh said he's going to ask Oswald when the time is right, Oswald's had a lot of family worries lately and it's been difficult... But he will try, just as I'm trying! I'd bust you out of there myself if I thought it would help!”

“No,” Ivy said, and she sounded broken, “No more running. Penguin is like a son to me. I need to be free, to protect him, to take care of my plants..._They seized them, Selina! I don't know how many they burned... my plants...”_ she gave a sob.

Suddenly there was a crackle on the line and the call was rapidly disconnected.

“Ivy?” Selina said, hearing nothing but a disconnection tone.

Now she was starting to panic.

_Had Arkham realised she had made the call? _

_Would she get caught? _

She put the phone down, heart racing as she thought of Josh. He had told her they had to wait. Now she wished she had listened. She didn't know who would come knocking at the door next, the GCPD or the underworld...Either could be bad news after what she had just done...

As they sat there by the river having coffee, Julian's meeting with his first victim was going well – so well that he could barely speak as he looked at her, expecting anger and hatred and receiving nothing but kindness and compassion instead.

“I read every word you wrote,” Grace told him, “And I've been living in Gotham City long enough to hear stories of what it was like here when people became affected by the Tetch virus. You are not to blame for your actions and I don't hate you. In fact, I see no trace in you of the man who attacked me that night. I came here not knowing what to expect, but I've found a warm and decent human being. I'm glad we met today. And you don't have to worry about me talking to the press – I won't say a word, I've seen what you went through to get your life back and all I can say is, I hope you get better, I hope you walk again and you're able to go back to serving the city council. You're a good man, Julian. I really do wish the best for you.”

He had tried to hold it back, but as he started to cry, she got up and put an arm around his shoulder.

“It's okay,” she said softly, “Don't cry. I want you to leave here today knowing you're forgiven.”

He looked into the eyes of the woman he had attacked a year before Iris, seeing such kindness in her gaze.

“I never forget,” he told her as he blinked back tears, “I'm still trying to find ways to make amends for the things that I did. I think I always will. I need to, it's the right thing to do.”

She still had her arm around his shoulder as she smiled.

“The right thing to do is put the past behind you,” she told him, “I did, I moved here to Gotham and now I run a successful advertising company. I think about the future, I don't look back, and neither should you.”

Julian thanked her and hugged her again, then his phone rang.

“Want me to pick you up?” asked Penguin, “River just called and asked if you're still coming over to the clinic today.”

“Yes, you should meet me now, I can't keep her waiting,” Julian replied, then he ended the call.

“I have to go now,” he told her, “I've got an appointment for a scan. Hopefully I'll find out there might be a chance I'll walk again.”

“I hope it's good news,” she told him with genuine warmth.

Julian smiled, feeling the last shadow of the past lift away.

“I hope so too,” he told her.

Molly was upstairs , she had just put Felix down for a nap when she heard the creak of floorboards. She closed her son's door softly and turned her head, freezing at the sight of the man who stood near an old sealed door that used to lead to the attic. She just stood there looking at him, as the thought ran through her mind:

_What the fuck am I hallucinating now?_

There he was, a man with a scarred face, painted garishly with clown make up that ran into the cracks of his damaged flesh. His clothing was colourful but looked faded as if he had been wandering around in that outfit for a while. He stood there, a little hunched in his posture, turning to her as a strand of green hair fell over his face and his mouth split into a wide smile as malice gleamed in his eyes.

_His clothing was reminiscent of... Jeremiah?_

_What was this, a brand new hallucination? _

_Had these tricks of the mind just upped their game?_

Molly recalled the younger Jeremiah and how she had killed him with the unicorn. She tried to picture Flossie galloping towards him, but there was no sight nor sound of Luna's imaginary pet this time...

“_You're not real!”_ Molly said fiercely, taking a deep breath and walking quickly towards the monstrous man who stood there grinning at her.

“_You're not real!” _she said again, leaning in close to his face.

And then she smelled the dampness and dusty odour coming from his clothing.. .was _that_ a hallucination too?

“_YES I AM!”_ he roared, giving her a shove that sent her back slamming to the wall as her eyes went wide and she lost her breath. It hit her, just as she felt the impact with the wall:

_He was real! _

_Fuck... this thing, this monster of a man was living flesh and bone and he was in her house..._

Shock and horror had stunned her harder then the blow to her back, but fight mode kicked in as she lunged at him, lashing out as he struggled with her.

“_Oswald!”_ she yelled as her voice echoed along the upper hall.

Felix started to cry in the nursery. She heard a rip and suddenly the man had tugged himself free and shoved her to the floor. She landed on her side, her first thought for her unborn child as her hand flew to her belly. Then she looked back sharply as she got up, seeing no one...

She heard a car door close and ran to the window, looking out to see Oswald outside, watching as Jax Sterling drove away. Then he turned back towards the house, limping stiffly with a look of fury on his face. She breathlessly looked about the upper hall again: No sign of the intruder, as if he had vanished... She couldn't lift Felix from his cot, she couldn't risk lifting anything after that fall..._ Oh god, the baby, was it okay?_

Molly hurried to the top of the stairs as Oswald returned to the house.

“Get up here, hurry!” she said urgently as she glanced back nervously, seeing no one.

Oswald assumed Molly had suffered another hallucination, but his mind was on another matter entirely as he limped up the stairs, a matter that could have serious consequences...

“Selina has quite possibly threatened any chance Ivy had of underworld assistance!” he fumed, “She called the asylum, claiming to be an underworld legal representative, just to speak to Ivy, to say she missed her! I've just sent Jax over to speak with her about it – and I've called Josh, he was out on business for me today but he needs to be with his wife, they _both_ need to sit down and listen while Jax explains the damage Selina may have done! The underworld currently has_ NO COMMENT _on Ivy's situation! It's too soon to start putting out rumours that _my_ people are going to assist her!”

Molly stood there pale and shaken. She had something in her hand. She slowly raised it, her frightened gaze fixed on her husband as he stared at her, wondering what the hell was wrong.

“_There was man up here... he's older, has a clown face...and I'm not hallucinating, Oswald! I tore this off his jacket!”_

Oswald's eyes grew wide at the sight of the ragged piece of purple fabric in her shaking hand. He hit the button on the wall, calling security, then took the head off his cane as the glint of a blade caught the light, then armed with his weapon, he went first along the hallway as Molly followed, missing her gun, afraid for her husband, terrified that Felix was alone in his room and even more afraid for her unborn baby. Oswald didn't know about the fall yet. Neither did Julian... She put a hand to her belly, saying a silent prayer that fall would not cause a miscarriage as they reached the end of the hallway.

“Where did he go?” Oswald demanded.

Felix was still crying in the nursery, then he said_ Mama. _

“_I don't know, Oswald. He was by the old attic door... I have to go to Felix!”_

As Molly hurried back to the nursery, Oswald paused, looking in each room and finding it empty. He tried the attic door and it was shut tight as it had been for many years...

“There's no sign of anyone,” Oswald said, sliding the dagger back into the cane as he entered the nursery.

Felix was reaching for Molly.

“I'm so sorry I couldn't carry you with me,” she said to him, then she looked to her husband as he joined her, “You'll have to lift Felix for me. I can't, I mustn't even try... I fell, the intruder pushed me over... I'm scared for the baby, Oswald!”

Oswald leaned his cane against the cot, then reached in and lifted Felix out. He looked to Molly in alarm as she placed a hand on her belly, looking worried sick.

“Go to the bedroom and lie down, my dear,” he said, “Don't worry about anything. I shall deal with the intruder.”

Just as Molly went to the bedroom, Oswald left the nursery with his son in his arms, and as security staff came running, he turned to face them as anger blazed in his eyes.

“Search this house top to bottom - including the attic – it can only be accessed via the hatch,” he glanced upward, “And _if_ you find an intruder up there, bring him to me alive – no one kills him but _me_, is that understood?”

“Yes sir,” came the reply, then the guard began to give orders to others who were heading up the stairs. Oswald took Felix back into the nursery, sitting in a comfortable chair as his son sat on his lap, oblivious to the devastated tone of his father's voice as Oswald called River:

“There's been an incident... an intruder threw Molly to the floor. Please, she needs you, she's scared she could be losing the baby.”

There was a brief shocked pause on the end of the line.

“Is she bleeding? Does she have any pain?”

“I don't think so.”

“Julian's here right now, we're just discussing his test results. Bring Molly to the clinic right away.”

“Yes, I'll do that,” Oswald said, then as he cut off the call and lifted his son into his arms and rose from his seat, worry reflected in his eyes as he thought about Molly and the baby, then about the contents of that file, and the fact that Velaska could still be alive:

No, it couldn't be him, not after all these years... And Luna had described her imaginary friend to Molly, who for now, was still prone to hallucinations... maybe she had imagined that encounter, dreaming up her own version of Mr Giggles, who was more like an evil clown than Luna;s pretend friend. As for the fabric, he didn't know where she had got it from, but perhaps she had come across it and the colour had been the trigger, making her think of Jeremiah... 

She had imagined a struggle and fallen.

That  _ had  _ to be the answer.

_ Anything else would be nothing less than a truly horrific nightmare... _

As he left the nursery, his men were coming down from the attic.

“Nothing up there, sir,” one said, and as they closed the hatch, Oswald went into the main bedroom where Molly was sitting on the bed, her face pale. 

“River said to come to the clinic right away,” he told her, “She wants to check you over to make sure the baby is okay.”

Molly nodded, then she got up and left the room with Oswald as he carried Felix in his arms. They left the house together, and as they got into the car Molly stayed silent. On the way out, one of Oswald's men had said, the whole house had been searched top to bottom and they had found nothing.

“_Even the cellar?” Oswald had asked._

“_And below it, sir,” the guard had replied quietly._

_ Below it? _ Molly wondered what that meant. 

But now wasn't the time to ask, she was worried about was the baby. She had no pain and no sign of bleeding, but she knew she would not be able to relax in the slightest until she knew the baby was okay. 

As they drove towards the clinic, Oswald spoke up.

“Security have swept the house and the grounds,” he told her, “They found no one, Molly. And no evidence of an intruder anywhere on camera either. Maybe you had a sudden, intense hallucination that caused you to fall.”

That piece of torn purple fabric was still in her pocket. Oswald had seen it, but he would find an excuse for it. He didn't believe her...

“Yes love,” she agreed, “Maybe that's what it was...” then she said no more, hoping that the baby was okay. 

She also knew she would have to think long and hard about who to turn to over the fabric she tore from the lapel of the intruder's jacket. Oswald was still convinced she was imagining it. She knew hallucinations didn't leave pieces of real, torn clothing behind. And she had to turn to  _ someone  _ for help, because she was starting to feel like she was going insane...


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

As Molly lay there on the table watching the monitor, as soon as River said the baby was fine, she breathed a sigh of relief, as Oswald and Julian exchanged a glance and Oswald briefly hugged him and patted his back. Julian had been worried sick ever since River had received the call, then she had put the phone down and told him what had happened. But now the worry was over, he was smiling again.

“Your baby is fine, Molly,” River said as she turned off the scanner, “But I would advise you to rest for a few days, and if the hallucinations trouble you, make sure someone is with you at all times – just because you swapped Velaska for a unicorn, it doesn't mean it will stay that way. You've got three more weeks to handle the unexpected. You have to be ready for it, and sometimes, it might be scary.”

“We will be ready for it,” Oswald replied, “Jax and Josh are taking turns to watch over Molly. Jax had to leave unexpectedly today...” he paused, checking his watch, “He had to attend a meeting...” he said no more on the subject, knowing Jax Sterling was ready to have a very stern talk with Selina in front of Josh about her phone call to Arkham. The balance here was delicate. Nothing could be done that might be seen as a hint of the underworld's decision regarding Ivy. That matter would be dealt with in the wake of the revelation about the Arkham scandal, to take the heat off any help he decided to offer her, and he couldn't allow anyone to mess that up – especially not someone as close to Ivy as Selina...

Once Molly's scan was over, River invited them back into her office, where Molly sat beside Oswald as Julian wheeled his chair next to Molly.

“And now for some more good news,” River said, and she looked at Julian, who smiled as he turned his head, looking from Oswald to Molly and then explained.

“My scan results showed the pathways that can't stay fixed can stay strong – with repeated practise. I was right! If I read every day, my eye improves. If I stop, the blind spot comes back and I have to start again.”

He stopped right there, still smiling as he looked to River.

“Okay Julian, I was wrong!” she said as he laughed, and then she explained the rest:

“Julian is learning to walk again, if he uses the treadmill every day, the pathways that can't fix permanently pick up on a learning pattern, and start to hold stable – so the more he exercises, the more he will regain. If he keeps up the treadmill, he could be walking again with no need for a cane, very quickly. But he will have to keep exercising every day to keep the pathway stable. If he stops doing it for a week, he's going to deteriorate and then he will have to build it up again. These pathways are getting stronger rapidly. It's something he will always have to work on, but it's all good news. He will be out of that chair eventually.”

Oswald smiled as joy shone in his gaze.

“This is wonderful news!”

“Yes it is!” Molly said, hugging Julian.

As she let go, he looked to her belly, the baby was yet to show, but he placed his hand there as he looked from her to Oswald and made a vow:  
“By the time my baby is born, I'll be getting up every morning to go for a run around the estate. And I'm going to the gym three times a week and using the treadmill every evening too. The more I do, the stronger I'll get. I said I'd get out of this chair, and I will!”

Molly and Oswald exchanged a glance, sharing his hopes for the future.

“We believe that you will, too,” Oswald said fondly.

“_You have made a very serious mistake, Selina! Do you understand the implications of that? You pretended to represent the underworld on the phone to Ivy Pepper in Arkham! You have suggested a decision has been made regarding Miss Pepper – which it has NOT!”_

As they sat there on the sofa and Jax stood over them, Selina sat in silence, saying nothing. Josh realised he was seeing a very different side to Jax Sterling – yes, they were friends but business was business and right now, he and Selina were both in trouble:

_He had rarely seen the icy side of Jax, he had seen it a couple of times when people owing money to Penguin had been slammed up against a wall, and then there was the time when Jax had been asked to take out a man who had been planning to plant a bomb at a city council meeting. The cops had dropped the name over the radio and Oswald had picked up on it and called Jax, instructing him and Josh to go to an address and execute the occupant. Josh had stood around the back of the building listening as the wail of sirens grew closer. Jax had the guy on his knees and put a shot to the back of his head before the cars pulled up. They left the body in the alley and drove off. The GCPD arrived to find a body bleeding out... _

It was rare to see the cold side of Jax, but he served the underworld in every way, including the unpleasant ones. But today Josh saw a glimpse of that ice in his eyes as he glared at Selina and as he felt his anger rising, he knew as much as he valued his job, he would _not_ take this, even if Selina was sitting there taking it because she was thinking of his career...

“_If this gets out,”_ Jax said coldly, looking intently at Selina, _“If the press hears about it, you may have just wrecked ANY chance Ivy had of assistance from the underworld! Do not question Mr Penguin's methods or decisions! This is out of your hands!”_

“Okay, I admit I shouldn't have said I work for the underworld - but I needed to speak to her!” Selina told him.

“_And the call was soon determined to be based on a lie and swifty traced the THIS address!”_ Jax fumed, stepping closer as he glared at Selina_, “Never, EVER disobey the will of my employer again!”_

Then he glanced to Josh.

“_And if you want to keep your job, I suggest you control your wife!”_

“Control me?” Selina exclaimed in disbelief.

“No, no, _I've_ had enough now,” Josh said quietly to her, then he stood up, stepping closer to Jax as he looked him in the eye.

“_Control my wife? _What year do you think this is, Jax? And as for Selina calling Ivy, she misses her as much as I do!” Josh glared at him as Jax stood there, looking intently at him, clearly not expecting his authority to be challenged over this.

“And there's something else,” Josh added, “When _your wife April_ \- the adopted daughter of River Mooney, was forced by James Gordon to reveal Ivy's whereabouts, no one came to visit her to yell in her face about defying Oswald's orders! Oh, wait... she's your _WIFE _and she's _FAMILY_ to him. I guess that makes a difference! Selina doesn't need me to stand up for her – she's sat here and took this from you because she knows she never should have said she was an underworld representative, and she wants me to keep my job. But she just wanted to speak to the person we _BOTH_ love! I'm not angry with her for that. My heart aches to hold Ivy too! And what you just said: _Control my wife? _I can't imagine Oswald saying something like that! I know that's all _you_, Jax... Please don't do that again, it's insulting. I don't want to fall out with you. Selina's not going to call Ivy again. We're both waiting and hoping Oswald will do something to help her. That's all we've got – hope. And when people are desperate, sometimes they do desperate things. I'm sure you can grasp that!”

Jax looked at him for a moment and then nodded.

“Yes, I do see the reason for it,” he agreed, “And I meant no offence by what I said, Selina. But I was told to come here and make it _very_ clear these rules are _not_ to be broken again.”

Selina stood up too, relieved the tension was fading between her husband and Jax. She knew she had made a bad choice when making that call and didn't want to do or say anything to put his career at risk now Josh worked alongside Oswald's General.

“I admit it was a bad decision, it was wrong to say I worked for the underworld - I knew that as soon as they connected me. But I don't regret contacting her! We both love her. We can't see her, she's locked away and she sounded in a real mess emotionally when I spoke to her! I'm afraid for her, Jax!”

Jax paused, considering all she had said.

“Mr Penguin is aware of that. He is sympathetic to your situation and empathises with your concerns, however – this matter cannot be dealt with as you wish, at this moment. He will make a decision when he feels the time is right and you must trust in his wisdom to do that,” he paused again, looking from Josh and back to Selina.

“Mr Penguin also requires you to arrange a discreet meeting between him and the Bat, this must take place within the next two weeks. I suggest you make contact quickly. And of course, it must remain confidential. Tell no one of this request.”

Josh looked sharply at him.

“You came in here, on Oswald's orders, and spoke to us like shit and now you're asking Selina to do_ this_ for him?”

“Language, Josh,” Jax said, “No need to start cussing. Remember your manners, you may be in your own home but you're also wearing the uniform of Mr Penguin's men.”

Josh gave a sigh. Jax was a good guy, but he was so old school when it came to following orders, and at a time like this, it took patience not to yell at him. Then he started to think:

_What did the Bat have to do with Ivy? _

_Nothing, as far as he was aware..._

_Was something else going on? _

He had the feeling that meeting needed to be arranged, and that somehow, even though it didn't connect to Ivy, it would maybe help her in some way later on...

“I think you should arrange that meeting,” he said to Selina.

“Will this help Ivy?” she demanded, looking hard at Jax, “I need to know!”

“I only have instruction that you are to contact the Bat to arrange a meeting with him and Mr Penguin. Those are my orders.”

Selina nodded.

“Okay, I'll arrange it. But this had better do some good for Ivy!”

“As I said, I have my orders. I am not in full possession of facts, I only have my instruction,” Jax replied, “Thank you, Selina. And on that note I shall take my leave. Josh, I hope there are no hard feelings?”

He held out his hand. Josh shook it, forcing a polite smile. He didn't want anything to wreck the friendship he shared with Jax, but today had come very close indeed...

“Mr Penguin expects you at the mansion tomorrow,” Jax reminded him, “I'll see myself out. Have a good evening.”

Then he walked away, and as the door closed, Selina gave a heavy sigh as regret reflected in her eyes.

“I am _SO_ sorry I did that! I just kept thinking of Ivy locked away in there and then I was picking up the phone and -”

“And following your heart,” Josh said, reaching for her as he pulled her into his embrace, “Don't think for one minute I haven't thought about using my position working with Oswald, to make a call to Arkham – or even to show up there! But I knew I couldn't do that. And as hard as this is, you can't call Ivy again, Selina.”

“I know that, but it breaks my heart!”

He saw such pain in her eyes as he ran his fingers through her hair, holding her close as he felt her heart racing.

“It will be okay,” he promised, “I will make sure Oswald helps her. I'll talk to him but you have to be patient – Molly is going through a lot and he's worried and I really do have to choose the right time.”

Selina nodded.

“But he's probably already got a plan. I just don't know why he's not acting on it.”

“Maybe it's timing,” Josh suggested.

Selina gave a sigh as she hugged him, then a thought came to mind as he looked at him in confusion.

“Why does Oswald need to speak to Batman?”

“I don't know,” Josh replied, “But it doesn't have to make sense to us – not when we know what a schemer Oswald is... I don't think it's directly connected to Ivy, but maybe it's linked in some way.”

Now he saw a spark of hope in her eyes as she started to smile.

“Do you think she could be out of there soon?”

“I hope so.”

“And home to us?” her voice trembled as she blinked back tears.

Josh wanted to make a promise he could keep, but for now, nothing was certain.

“We can only hope that happens,” he replied softly, then he drew her into his arms again, holding her as she wept, her heart aching for Ivy.

The mood was good as they arrived home, Julian was talking to Oswald about how he would soon be out of the wheelchair.

“A year from now, I want to be driving again,” Julian said, “And I want to be doing the school run, I miss meeting the leprechauns from school!”

“Yes, I'm sure you will do that,” Oswald said warmly as they headed for the elevator, “My admiration for your strength and courage grows every day, Julian.”

The doors opened and Julian wheeled his chair inside.

“I'm going to spend some more time on the treadmill and then rest for a while,” he said.

There was a sparkle in his eyes as Oswald gave his reply.

“And later perhaps Doctor Cobblepot should check on you... if practise makes perfect, we want to be sure your _other_ functions don't...let you down.”

He winked and Julian laughed as his face flushed.

“That's a definite appointment, Oswald!”

As the door closed and the lift began to climb, Oswald walked away and answered his phone as it started to ring.

“Sir, I have delivered the message loud and clear,” Jax said, “Selina will not be making that mistake again. And she has agreed to arrange contact with the Bat as you requested.”

“Thank you Jax, you can take the rest of the day off,” Oswald replied, “I will be spending today with my wife, she won't be alone, you deserve some time with April and your daughter.”

“Thank you sir,” Jax replied.

Oswald ended the call and then headed off towards the front room. Molly had just gone in there, intending to sit down and rest as River had advised. But the lively way Felix had toddled beside her suggested she wouldn't get much rest unless he helped out. He reached the front room and felt relieved that Molly was resting on the sofa as Felix sat down on his bean bag and pointed at the TV.

“Excellent choice young man,” Oswald said, smiling down at his young son, “You can watch cartoons while I get you some juice for your sippy cup and Mommy can have lots of rest.”

Oswald turned on the TV and then as he turned to leave the room, Molly smiled up at him as she lay on the sofa.

“I love you so much, Oswald.”

“I love you too, my dear,” he replied, pausing to lean over her and kiss her softly, before leaving the room to fetch juice for their son.

As Oswald left the room, Molly's smile faded. She still had that piece of purple cloth in her pocket, physical proof that the man who attacked her was no hallucination. And Oswald wouldn't believe her. Neither would Jax, because he followed orders and his loyalty to Oswald was such that he wouldn't even consider that Oswald might be wrong, he would see that as a betrayal of his employer...

_But Josh was smart._

_He thought outside of the box, he followed his instincts, too..._

Her mind was made up: Tomorrow, when Josh arrived at the house, she would show him the torn fabric and hope that he would take her seriously, because she was sure the man she had seen was no hallucination, and if she was right, maybe he was still a lurking threat...

Selina gave a sigh that sounded like it could fill the room and it was heavenly. Then her fingers clutched at the pillow as she pressed her face against it and thrust against him, enjoying the deep penetration from behind as Josh fucked her harder.

“_Deeper, tiny cock!”_ she taunted, _“Make that little penis of yours do some work for once!”_

Then she gave a cry of pleasure as her hand moved harder between her legs and he felt her body contracting with an orgasm that made her yell. He came hot and fast, pumping her full of his climax, then as she slid down exhausted to the bed, he withdrew and reached for her, pulling her closer.

“I guess that was okay, for my_ tiny_ cock?” he said with a playful smile.

Her curls were stuck to her face as sweat ran off her body, she was still breathing hard as she laughed softly and wrapped her arms around him.

“I love you so much!”

Josh kissed her tenderly, reaching up to sweep her damp hair from her flushed face as she lay there naked and glowing from orgasm.

“I love you too.”

The joy of their afterglow briefly shifted as sadness flickered in her gaze.

“_I bet she's so frightened in there.. she was crying on the phone... We're here in bed and having fun, and she's in there and -”_

“Selina, stop,” Josh said softly, “Don't do this to yourself. I think she's been through a lot, losing the plants – it was the forest fire that did it. She's probably still grieving for them. But Oswald will help her, just remember that.”

“I hope so.” She whispered, shifting closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder as she closed her eyes, comforted by his closeness as she shut her eyes, holding him as Josh and their room felt like the safest place on earth – this moment, this place and this man were her only safe harbour from all the thoughts of everything outside of this house that led to Arkham and Ivy's incarceration and the source of her aching heart...

At Arkham, while Ivy Pepper was locked in a secure cell and silently mourning for her dead plants - her murdered kindred - just as Josh had predicted, the governor of the asylum was not in her office. Beth Crane was on the upper level, in the private living quarters of her secure and luxurious apartment, giving a toss of her bobbed platinum hair as her lover slowly zipped up her figure hugging black dress.

“Than you, Mr Nygma,” she said as a smile played about her lips, then she turned from the pink silk sheets still crumpled on the bed from their three stolen hours of secret fucking and slid her arms around him.

“You're welcome, Beth,” Ed said with a smile.

As she looked at him, a plan ran through her mind:

Everyone said Ed Nygma was a dangerous man. There were stories about him in the old days, of his life as Riddler... but that was then. He kept Riddler controlled with medication. These days, he was the most senior underworld representative on the city council under Oswald, and she didn't believe for one minute that Nygma was dangerous any more. There was no hint of Riddler about this man, he was cute, he was funny – and he was unhappily married, he said that all the time... She knew him better than anyone else did, she felt sure of it.

_All he needed was a little push to leave his wife and then... they could be happy together..._

That little push was going to be a press conference she would call to announce their relationship. This news would stun the city, but she felt sure a little ruthlessness would pay off. He wasn't Riddler any more. He was Ed, cute, adorable Ed, who would be so much better off with her instead of Lee... It was silly really, how people talked about Ed like he was some kind of psychopath in the old days...

“What are you smiling at?” he asked, pulling her closer as her perfume hit his senses again and he made a mental note to leave very soon, to allow for traffic. Lee wouldn't be off her shift at the hospital yet, he would have adequate time to shower away the scent of his lover and then pick the kids up from school... Beth was irresistible, and he was going where Oswald had been! The hottest woman in the city, with her Marilyn Monroe looks and figure – and she had fallen for him at last! She was a mistress made in heaven... She didn't want commitment, she didn't pressure him to leave his wife, she had her life and her career... and if Oswald thought he was giving her up, he had another thing coming. He would just make sure Oswald didn't find out the affair was continuing...

“Listen,” he said, “This is important, Beth – don't say a word about us to anyone – if this got back to Oswald, I don't know... he might be jealous.”

Her eyes widened.

“Oswald doesn't love me, Ed! That was over years ago!”

“But learning of us could stir up old memories. And he is my best friend. Always be careful, if you ever have to speak with him about Arkham and the improvements you've made, never let anything slip, no matter how close you used to be.”

She stroked a lock of hair from his brow with a fingertip as she laughed.

“As if I would say that! I spoke to him recently, we didn't mention you -” she gave a gasp as Ed gripped her arm and that grip got a little too heavy as the look in his eyes changed, giving her a chill that ran down her spine as for a moment the crazy thought hit her that maybe there really was still another side to her cute and nerdy Eddie Nygma...No, it couldn't be true...

“_Let go of me!”_

What ever she had seen in his eyes had gone now. Ed let go and looked at her in alarm.

“Why did you speak to Oswald? You didn't mention this to me?”

“It was about a file.. I found this file, about Valeska.”

“Which Valeska?”

She went over to the bedside table, picked up a glass and poured another glass of wine, pausing to take a sip, then she turned back to him.

“Jeremiah. Apparently he was apprehended by Batman a few years back – after a nasty fall into a chemical vat. Batman took him to Arkham. And Arkham lost him...”

Ed's eyes grew wide.

“You didn't think to tell me this?”

“No, Ed!” she said firmly, “I had to take this to the head of the underworld. It's in Oswald's hands now! And if you breathe a word of this, he will know it's come from me. He will know we are having an affair. So I suggest you keep your mouth shut if you're that worried about what Oswald might think of you and me!”

He could feel Riddler there at the back of his mind.

_If she starts to put the squeeze on you, let me handle her, I'll shut her up,_ he said darkly.

“_YOU _shut up!” Ed said, turning away.

“Don't talk to me like that!” Beth exclaimed.

Ed breathed a relieved sigh._ Thank god she assumed he meant her _ ... She did not believe he was still capable of letting Riddler in, or letting him take over. He was pretty sure she wouldn't invite him to her bed again if she knew exactly what _ lady killer _ Riddler was capable of...

“Sorry,” he said, “I didn't mean to snap at you. So, what did Oswald say about this file?”

“That he's going to announce it at the appropriate time – to the press and the GCPD. He wants absolute clarity for the people of Gotham. No secrets. And it's not as if Velaska's likely to be alive now, he was badly burned when he escaped.”

“And no one has seen or heard of him since,” Ed agreed, “Okay, I guess there's nothing to be gained from this information – it sounds like a headache for Oswald to deal with.”

He checked his watch, then kissed her cheek.

“I have to go now. I'm doing the school run for Lee.”

“But school doesn't finish for another hour!” she exclaimed.

“Yes but I have underworld business to attend to first,” he replied, then he smiled as his eyes sparkled playfully.

“I'll meet you after work the day after tomorrow. I know you're finishing early that day. We can have a whole afternoon together!”

“I'd love that,” she said with a smile, then Ed turned away, paused to straighten his jacket and quickly rake his fingers through his hair, then he left the apartment. Her smile got bigger as she thought about her plans: _A few weeks from now, the whole of Gotham would know about their affair. And finally, Ed would leave his wife, and they would be together..._

Molly had taken Felix upstairs for his nap. Now she was still avoiding lifting as much as she could, just to be safe for the baby, she was glad to use the elevator. She took Felix to his room and he seemed to sense that she didn't want to lift him as she cautiously raised him up and he reached for the bars, climbing into his cot as he gave a yawn.

“Clever boy!” she told him, and moments later he was on his back and sleepy as the mobile above the cot turned, then he fell asleep and she left the room, closing the door softly.

She was thinking about going back to the bedroom to lie down, but then she heard a soft moan and a heavy breath coming from a doorway down the hall... it was coming from Julian's room. She smiled as she thought about how Oswald had said Julian had better keep practising _everything_ so he didn't lose his skills...

She stood there in the open doorway, looking on as Oswald worked his power over another man, that power she found so entrancing:

Julian was next to his bed, in his wheelchair. He was leaning back with his eyes closed as he gave a sigh as Oswald sat beside him, on the bed, his hand between his open legs as he slowly and firmly jerked Julian's cock.

Molly joined them, smiling at her husband as she watched his hand work its magic, then she stood behind Julian's chair, putting an arm around him as he leaned back against her and looked up into her eyes.

“_Is that nice, Julian?”_ she asked softly.

“_Yes!” _he gasped, _“Fuck, yes!”_

“Oswald's _so_ good with his hands...”

“Oh yes, I'm _very_ gifted with my hands,” Oswald said seductively, his eyes not leaving the sight of Julian's hard cock as he jerked it.

“My Oswald knows what he's doing, you sit back and enjoy it, Julian... let Oswald make you come...”

“Oh... fuck... _fuck!_” Julian gasped, coming in a sharp burst as that final jerk was more brutal and forced him over the edge. Molly reached for tissues and passed them to Oswald as he cleaned come from the back of his hand, then from Julian's thigh. Molly leaned in, kissing him softly as Julian looked up at her.

“Time for you to get some rest now,” she said.

“Yes, time for bed, you must be exhausted, Julian!” Oswald added, then Molly stood back and watched as Oswald helped him from the chair to his bed.

“What do you say to me?” Oswald asked playfully.

Julian laughed.

“Thank you, Oswald!”

Oswald leaned closer, dropping his voice as amusement shone in his gaze.

“Try again!”

Julian laughed harder.

“Sir... Doctor Cobblepot? Ozzie? Thank you!”

“You're most welcome, my sweet Julian!”

Oswald kissed his cheek, then he limped out of the room as Molly followed, closing the door behind them, knowing he still tired easily and would need to grab some sleep. Then he and Molly went back to their own room, where Molly took more of that rest River had advised, as Oswald lay beside her, embracing his wife while he kept a protective hand on her belly, over Julian's unborn child.

It was Friday morning.

Oswald had taken the kids to school. Molly had got up late, smiling to finding a note from her husband on her pillow:

_I'm taking the kids to school, Julian is still sleeping and Josh is downstairs if you need assistance – Penguin has taken Felix to the park. I will return soon, all my love, Ozzie. _

Molly had got up, showered and dressed, then gone downstairs to find Josh in the front room. He had been standing by the window and as he turned around and smiled and said _Good Morning, Mrs Cobblepot_, she felt sure that she was making the right choice. He would listen. He wouldn't repeat the words Jax clung to, that there was no clown. He would look into the possibilities that Jax refused to see...

“Josh,” she said, joining him at the window, “I need to talk to you about something... before my husband gets back.”

Earlier, when he had arrived at the house, Josh had spoken with Oswald, apologising for the phone call to Arkham.

“_That's over with now, let's move on from that, least said soonest mended,” Oswald had told him with a warm smile..._

And now Molly was asking him to help her with something, without Oswald's knowledge... He decided he would wait and find out what this was about, and then make his decision, maybe she just needed reassurance that the intruder had been a hallucination. Or maybe, she knew more and Oswald wasn't listening because he had his own theories and was sticking to them as strongly as Jax stuck to his orders...

Josh smiled.

“I'll need to know what this is about first, Molly. I'm aware that Selina put Ivy's prospect of help from the underworld in serious danger by making that phone call, I apologised to your husband again this morning. But, if I can help you with something, I'll try my best.”

She stood there looking into his eyes, deciding yes, she could trust him. He was kind and he had an open mind, too... She drew the torn fabric from her pocket.

“Oswald says the intruder isn't real. He thinks it's all in my head. But when we fought, before he pushed me to the floor, I ripped this from his jacket.”

She handed the torn purple cloth to Josh. He turned it over in his hand, then looked to Molly.

“I know Oswald thinks you imagined it, so I have to ask... Could you have found this somewhere, could there be another explanation? Do you have any drapes this colour, or maybe an old fabric box where you keep material, maybe for sewing... making quilts and stuff?”

She looked at him in confusion.

“I don't make quilts.”

Josh turned the fabric over in his hand again.

“Selina does,” he replied, “She started it up after we moved to the new place... “ he paused, raising the fabric to his nose, taking a sniff and then drawing it back quickly.

“This stinks. It smells like damp and dust and...” he cautiously sniffed it again, then looked up at Molly.

“_Mice.”_

She was utterly confused.

“I noticed he stunk when he grabbed hold of me. But I was thinking, damp... he's in a damp place somewhere.”

“Are there any abandoned houses around here?”

Molly shook her head.

“Not up here in the hills. We overlook Gotham, this is millionaire territory. All the rich and powerful have mansions and some of them are recently built... there's no abandoned places around here.”

Josh paused for thought, still turning that cloth over in his hand as he looked about the front room, this place was old and old houses often had mice and... No, that thought sent a chill to his bones:

_Was this guy somewhere in the house? _

He didn't want to throw that possibility at Molly, not while she was still prone to hallucinations. But this fabric was real and it stunk like someone had been wearing it, hiding out somewhere dark and damp, somewhere with a rodent infestation...

“I know this place is secure. Oswald has armed guards around the estate and on the gates, there's cameras and the security system is superb. But, could someone... come and go from this place without being seen?”

She paused for thought, looked to the window and the driveway and the trees beyond it.

“Well, it's not impossible for someone to be able to do that, but it would take weeks of studying the layout and the security and... it would be so difficult. I don't see how anyone would get the opportunity! And someone like him.. the way he looks, he would be seen at some point, he couldn't just wander around freely. But he _is_ real, Josh.”

Josh looked to the fabric in his hand then back at Molly and nodded.

“Yes, I think you might be right,” he replied, “If you are right, someone has found a way to come and go from this house without being detected. That means they know every blind spot the cameras don't reach and they know the routines of the security staff. I don't know how he's doing it...But we do have a clue right here. He's hiding out somewhere less than ideal, it's not clean or comfortable and it's infested with mice. Don't think too much on this next question, just give me a yes or a no: Is there anywhere in this house that could be damp and have mice living in the walls?”

Molly thought about it as she shook her head.

“We had mice at the manor house in Ireland... Oswald loves old places, they look grand enough and then you hear scratching and squeaking at night and I find feckin' droppings... We had to call in an exterminator when we first moved in – but that was back in Ireland.”

“Could someone from Ireland be doing this?”

“No,” Molly said, shaking her head, “We had no enemies there. It was the one peaceful time in our lives, when we left Gotham. But the war with Bane kicked off and after that, Oswald didn't want to leave Gotham again, so we came back permanently. This house had mice ten years back and Ozzie got the problem sorted out, he had the house cleaned from top to bottom and made sure the problem was gone because I was pregnant with Cain at the time.”

“Show me where you last saw this guy,” said Josh.

“This way,” Molly told him, and she led the way towards the stairs.

“_I was standing right here.”_

As she said that, she paled as she looked to the wall at the end of the hallway, they were upstairs, standing right by the old wooden door that was clearly, firmly nailed shut with nails all around the door that used to lead to the attic.

“And he was there,” she said, “he lunged at me, that was when I realised he was real. I yelled for Oswald and he threw me to the ground, then he was gone.”

Josh looked to the blank wall behind them, then to the sealed door.

“Gone where?”

Molly looked up and down the hallway, ran her fingers through her long dark hair and gave a shrug.

“I don't know. He was just gone... like one of my hallucinations.”

“Except that he wasn't, because you had the fabric in your hand, you tore it from his jacket.”

“Right,” Molly took a deep breath, still feeling a chill on relieving that memory.

Josh looked again at the sealed door.

“What's behind it?”

“An old stairway, it's not useable any more, we had a damp issue with the wall and Oswald got that fixed and then the door was sealed shut. The stairs went up to the attic. He thought it would be safer, now we were starting a family, to block it off. No one ever used it anyway, the attic can only be reached by the hatch in the ceiling,” she indicated to the attic hatch that was set into the ceiling in the middle of the upper hall.

“What's it like up there?” Josh asked.

Molly shrugged.

“Dusty but okay, it's just an attic – there's a few bits of old furniture up there, I'd say the usual junk you'd find in an attic but this is Oswald's family mansion so the junk up there is valuable - old furniture, mostly. There's nothing suspicious up there, Oswald had security search it.”

Josh looked towards the hatch.

“I still want to take a look,” he told her.

Molly stood in the middle of the upper hall and passed Josh a small pole with a hook on the end of it. He was a little shorter than Molly and had to jump to hook the ring on to the pole, but then he tugged and the hatch opened and a ladder began to descend smoothly.

“You might want to stay here,” Josh said.

“No, I'll be fine – it's only the attic!” Molly said in surprise, “I've been up there many times over the years. There's a light switch on the floor to right side as you go up.”

Josh went up first, hitting the lights as he climbed into the attic. Molly followed. Josh turned back to help her up and then they stood there looking about the attic space :

To the far side was an old window where light streamed in, but on this side, it was darker and the electric light balanced that out well. Antique furniture sat up here, some under dust sheets, others simply gathering dust. The floor was boarded and the boards were dry with no sign of damp or decay. There was a big box of Christmas decorations on the other side of the open hatch. Josh recognised the garlands that trailed out, Molly put those up every Christmas in the front room, thick and green and decorated with holly and ivy.

But now Josh was looking towards a bricked up wall...

“Shouldn't there be another window on the other side... and why is that end section closed off?”

“It's been that way for years,” Molly replied, “Oswald said something about mice, that was back when he had the place cleaned up. I remember he said he was bricking off a section because it had enough support under it to take the weight and that wall made the place a lot better – kept the cold out. That section of the wall beyond was a real problem. He had it treated for damp. That was ten years ago.”

Josh paused for thought. He looked across the attic to the other end of the room, looking to the window, then he looked back to where the ceiling sloped low and a section was blocked off by the brickwork.

“There's an area behind that, leading to the stairway and down to the sealed door?”

“Yes but the stairs are unsafe and the door's been sealed for years. It's bricked up on this side, Josh. No one can get in there.”

Josh walked across the boards, thinking about the layout of the rooms below.

“What room is below the sealed area?”

Molly looked at him as her eyes widened.

“Me and Oswald's bedroom, why?”

Suddenly her mind was racing as she recalled the feel of being watched... She looked about nervously. There was no worse a demon to face than that which lived inside the mind. At that moment, she didn't know if this was what it felt like to go crazy...

“_No fucking way... you... you think someone might be _… _in there? In our attic?_”

Josh had been about to take a look at the brickwork, but Molly was getting uneasy now and he didn't blame her for that. First she had suffered hallucinations, then been attacked by a real intruder. He still kept an open mind, but the guy she had struggled with didn't sound like a hallucination to him, and that fabric definitely smelled of somewhere dark, damp and infested with mice...

“No, I'm sure it's fine,” Josh assured her, turning from the wall and joining her by the hatch as he gave her a reassuring smile, knowing he had to investigate this without triggering her hallucinations, “In fact, I can settle your fears once and for all, at least regarding that closed off room – I've seen from the outside there's a window on this side of the house, it looks into the blocked up area. I'll fetch a ladder and go up there and look through the window. Then I can tell you no one has been up there, okay?”

She nodded, looking weary and worn out from the relentless stress of the situation.

“But where does that leave me? Am I going insane? Are these hallucinations getting so bad I'm starting to believe they're real? I can't explain the torn off fabric, Josh!”

“I didn't say he's not real,” Josh replied, “But I just want to look through that window to reassure you there's no one in there. Then, I need to look through security footage. He's probably found a way around the blind spots and he's using a route not often walked by security to get in and out of this place - it's certainly how he's moving about the grounds. I bet Luna hasn't seen him in the orchard since Oswald put extra security measures in place in that area?”

Molly nodded. Josh was right.

“No, she said she can't find him!”

“Then maybe that's another way to prove he's real. Step up security everywhere because he doesn't want to be caught on camera. We just have to find out how he's getting in.”

Josh began to climb down the ladder. Molly followed and then he closed the hatch up once more.

Fifteen minutes later they were outside, around the side of the house as Molly stood back, looking up as Josh started to climb up and up, towards the attic window on the blocked off side.

“Josh...”

He looked down, clinging tightly to the ladder as he wished he had not done that. He was a long up...

“What is it, Molly?”

She raised a hand, shielding her eyes from the sun that had just cut through cloud as all around them, the warm spring breeze stirred leaves in trees so close Josh could have easily reached out and touched them –_ if_ he was dumb enough to let go of the ladder with one hand, this high up, which he was _not_...

“Be careful,” she reminded him.

“I'm okay,” Josh called back, then he kept on climbing.

“_At least, I will be if you don't make me look down again...”_ he muttered, then he took the final rungs to the top, reaching a dusty old window where the inside was covered with grime. He peered closer, seeing nothing but gloom and shadow. Then it darted quickly, claws tapping and tail swishing as the mouse darted up the pane.

“_Shit!”_ Josh gasped, feeling a jolt.

And that jolt made him lose his grip as his shoes slipped from the rung of the ladder. He felt the start of a fall and reached for the rung above, but his fingertips skimmed it and he gave yell.

“_Josh!” _Molly shouted in alarm as he fell.

Josh felt a rush of air as he sped past the ladder, bracing himself for impact with the ground as a thought went thought his mind :

_Oh fuck, I'm going to die... because of a mouse?_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

As he fell, _so_ many thoughts rushed through his mind that Josh could barely catch them. Scenarios, what might be said to Selina, what might be said about him at his funeral:

Oswald saying to Selina,_ “I'm sorry that your husband died... but not in the course of his duty, not in the line of fire...but because, he was up a ladder for reasons unknown and startled by a mouse at a window...” _

Then he pictured Jax speaking at his funeral: “_We will never know why Josh chose to ascend that ladder, or to meet his fate at the hands of a small rodent...”_

The ground was rushing closer. Then it was obscured by leaves and branches and he grabbed on to a branch, the fall stopped sharply as the branch creaked and he hung on, a short drop from the ground, as Molly ran over and looked up as he looked down at her and leaves torn off as he landed began to flutter to the ground.

“You fell off the ladder!” Molly exclaimed.

“Well yes, Molly, that's why I'm hanging on to a branch in this tree!”

“What did you do_ that_ for?”

“I saw a mouse, it made me jump!”

“Off the ladder? You could have been killed!”

“Yes...I know _that_, Molly...”

Just then Oswald, who had just arrived back from talking the kids to school, limped over quickly and stood beneath the tree, looking up in confusion as he paused to brush falling leaves from the shoulder of his jacket.

“Josh?” he said, “You're supposed to be watching my wife. Why are you up in a tree?”

Josh looked downward, it was a short drop. He let go and landed easily and quickly stood up, brushing leaves from his hair and picking a twig from his jacket as Oswald looked on with a confused expression:

_He had just arrived home in time to see Josh fall from a ladder and land in a tree..._

“I'll ask you again, Josh,” Oswald said as his patience wore thin, _“What the hell were you doing up a ladder?”_

Over Oswald's shoulder, he saw Molly shake her head. A signal to say, _please don't say a word_. He understood, they didn't have any kind of compelling evidence to persuade Oswald the intruder was real – at least, not yet...

“I was...” he looked up the ladder the grimy window, then back to Oswald.

“I was acting on Mr Sterling's advice, sir. He once told me, _never_ fail to notice anything about your environment. Always look out for things that need your attention. And I happened to notice that the window up there might need cleaning, so I got a ladder and decided to investigate.”

Oswald stared at him in disbelief.

“You're here to watch my wife and reassure her if she has hallucinations, you're not here to clean windows!”

“Sorry, sir.”

“Get cleaned up,” Oswald told him, “Then resume your task – the one I assigned to you!”

“Yes, I'll do that, sir,” Josh said, and then he hurried back into the house to tidy his appearance. His legs were still shaking from that fall, and he still didn't know what was behind that sealed door. He need an answer to that question before Molly had a hope of Oswald believing her...

The rest of the day went by uneventfully after the startling events of the morning. Josh offered to do the school run in the afternoon, and Oswald thanked him for that. Just after Josh left, Oswald took a call from Jax to say April was feeling unwell. She had a bad cold and was in bed and feeling exhausted and he wanted to request taking a day off to help out at home. Oswald agreed that was for the best – he told him to return to work Monday, then he spoke to April and told her he hoped she was better soon, and reminded her to come over with the baby when she was back on her feet.

By the time Josh returned from the school run, Oswald was ready to send him home for the rest of the day – along with instruction that he would be working here at the house tomorrow, because Jax had family matters to deal with. Josh thought of Selina and their plans to spend Saturday together. Now that was cancelled. But at least this meant he was back here tomorrow - and that would mean another chance to try and find out what was behind that sealed door...

Later that evening the family had dinner together, and Penguin made an announcement.

“I have a date on Sunday!”

Oswald put down his wine glass.

Julian looked at him in surprise.

Molly smiled brightly.

“That's lovely, Penguin!” she said, “What's she like, this date of yours?”

Cain pushed aside his finished dinner and chuckled.

“I bet she's got flippers like you!”

“Cain!” Oswald said, shooting him a warning look, “That's disrespectful!”

Penguin smiled broadly.

“She doesn't have flippers. She's very pretty! We meet most days when I take Felix to the park. But on Sunday, I'm going to her apartment for dinner.”

“Are you in love?” Luna asked with a smile.

Penguin gave a gruff laugh.

“Perhaps...”

“What's her name?” asked Julian.

“_Her name?”_ Penguin's flippers opened up and froze open for a moment:

Her name was Iris, of course! _Your ex girlfriend,_ he wanted to say to Julian – but how could he reveal that? He didn't want Julian to be angry or upset to think that he, Penguin Cobblepot, had stolen his ex girlfriend...

“Yes, what is her name?” Oswald added, “We would all very much like to meet her.”

“Maybe soon,” Penguin replied, avoiding the subject of her name, “I have yet to romance her. But I believe I have more than enough of the Cobblepot charm to achieve my goal. And by the way Molly, your roast beef was, as usual, delicious! Especially the gravy!”

“And I can see your plate is finished with now, Penguin,” Oswald added, looking to the plate that still had some gravy on it.

“Oh no, it's not_ quite_ finished!” Penguin replied, taking hold of the plate with his flippers.

“I think it is!” Oswald said as tension rose in his voice, “Manners, Penguin... Don't do that... no, no, _please_...”  
Penguin raised the plate, tilting it as he slurped the gravy off it. As he licked the plate, Luna giggled as Molly smiled and looked away. Oswald glared at him.

“How many times do I have to remind you, we do _not _lick plates at the dinner table!”

Penguin set the plate down and gave a shrug.

“It was good gravy,” he said, opening a flipper, “And if it is any consolation, Ivy used to tell me the same thing, but I grew up in the forest. My ways are a little different.”

“_You just have bad table manners!”_ Oswald exclaimed.

Julian looked away as he started to laugh.

“Oswald,” Molly said fondly, “He enjoyed his meal. So what if he licks the plate?”

“_He's not a dog!” _Oswald fumed.

Cain laughed.

“It's not funny!” Oswald said.

“But Dad, it is!” Cain chuckled, then Molly told the eldest kids they could leave the table. Cain and Luna left the room as Felix picked up his dish and licked the gravy from it, spilling it all over his old-fashioned wooden high chair.

“Ha ha! Do you see that, Oswald? He's copying his Uncle Penguin!” Molly laughed.

“_Felix!”_ Oswald exclaimed.

His baby son put down the dish and laughed with a face covered in gravy. Penguin smiled broadly at the little boy and opened and closed a flipper. Felix raised a hand, opening and closing it back, replying in his own way as he laughed again.

“At least he's having fun,” Molly replied, as she cleaned up her baby son, “Have a sense of humour Oswald – all families need that!”

Oswald started to smile, after seeing Julian laugh and the kids laugh and now amusement shining in Molly's gaze, as his baby son laughed again, he looked fondly at Penguin.

“Just try_ not_ to lick plates in future. And definitely_ don't_ lick the plate when you have dinner with your date on Sunday! I'm very sure she would not like to see you do that!”

Penguin finished his wine and then got up from his seat.

“Thank you for an excellent meal. It's my turn to cook tomorrow!” he announced, then he belched loudly as Julian laughed and so did Molly as Oswald looked at him in despair.

“Manners!” he said again.

“What ever, Dad!” replied Penguin, “I'm off to watch some TV. Tomorrow, I shall cook! We will have steak – your favourite!”

“I look forward to it – with no gravy!” Oswald replied, as Penguin waddled out of the room.

It was just gone six thirty that evening when there was a knock at the door. Molly knew what this was about, they had waited all week for this visit from Fish, who really needed to speak to Luna regarding what she had been told about events of the past. Molly exchanged a glance with Oswald, and he said he would get the door. Molly called Cain out of the room and told him to go upstairs and do his homework, by now Penguin had gone to his room to chat to his girlfriend online and Felix was fast asleep.

“I'll be in the dining room,” Julian said, turning his chair for the door.

“I'll come with you,” Molly added, then she glanced at Oswald.

“Good luck,” she said quietly, as Luna sat on the armchair watching TV, unaware that they had planned this talk between her and Fish and Oswald all week long.

Luna was sitting alone in the front room when Oswald came in and switched off the TV.

“Luna my dear,” he said kindly, “I would like to sit and talk with you – with you _and _Fish. Is that okay?”

Luna frowned a little, recalling what Mr Giggles had told her. Then Fish Mommy came into the room, she looked as pretty and sparkly as ever in a gold dress and shoes with sequins on them. Tonight she was usually working at her club, but she had taken time out from her business schedule to make this meeting, and it wasn't going to be easy. For all the toughness Fish Mooney had displayed years back as Queen of Gotham, telling her six year old daughter why she broke Daddy's leg many years ago was a painful challenge indeed...

“Sit down, Fish,” Oswald said, gesturing to the sofa.

“Thank you, Oswald,” she said, and sat down, then Oswald leaned on his cane and sat beside her as he looked to their daughter.

“I think you know why Fish Mommy wants to talk to you, Luna?”

Luna sat up in the armchair, turning away from the darkened TV as she met her biological mother's gaze.

“Did you really break my Daddy's leg?” she asked as her eyes narrowed, in that moment reminding Oswald of Fish in her younger days.

Fish drew in a deep breath, glanced to Oswald and then looked away, focusing on her daughter as she tried to push away feelings of regret that would last a lifetime.

“Yes, I did,” she told her, “In those days, people like me, people who ran things in the city, used to fight a lot. It was all about power and who got to control the city. You know what the underworld was like then, and how it is now, how Daddy looks after everything, and how everyone gets along like a family? It wasn't like that in the old days, Luna.”

Luna looked at her father, then she thought about all the times his bad leg had caused him pain and she blinked away tears.

“But you hurt my Daddy! I _love_ my Daddy!”

Fish knew her own eyes were stinging with tears. How parenthood had changed her. It had taken many years for her to realise she did have a heart under that tough exterior, and it had taken River and Luna to prove that point, after years of mistakes and bad choices and a lifetime of regret that she would always carry.

_And it didn't matter, not now. It didn't matter if she finally had the courage to shed tears now, in front of Oswald...This had been a long time coming. An admission of guilt wasn't a weakness. It was closure after years of regret._

“And I love your Daddy too,” Fish said, “But in those days, I was selfish. And I was foolish. A wonderful man gave me two children and my position of power came first to me, back then. I didn't realise how precious he was, or River , or you...”

Oswald was staring at her. She sensed it, turning her head as a tear stained her cheek.

“Never seen me cry before?” Fish asked as she smiled through her tears.

“I never imagined you would,” Oswald said quietly.

Then his hand was covering hers as he gave a gentle squeeze.

“Please continue, Luna needs to understand.”

Luna looked at Daddy and Fish Mommy, sitting there so close with Daddy holding her hand as she cried.

“Are you sorry?” Luna asked her, “And will you promise never to do it again, no matter what Daddy does, even if he upsets you again?”

Fish smiled as love shone in her gaze as she looked at her youngest daughter. It had made her heart ache when Luna had refused to see her last weekend, and right now, questions about who had told her about the past could wait. What mattered now was that she understood the past was laid to rest long ago.

“I'll never fall out with your Daddy again,” she promised her, “He's a very good friend, and in the old days, when he wasn't such a good friend, _I_ wasn't such a good friend either. But what matters now is, we have you and River in our lives and we love you so very much! And I know Daddy's leg hurts him a lot. I'm always sorry when I hear he's been in pain or he's had to go to River for pills or injections so he can walk comfortably. I will _always_ be sorry for hurting him. I wasn't sorry at the time. But later on, looking back, after you and River came into this world, I had _plenty_ of time to be sorry, Luna. I will always be sorry. And I care about your Daddy.”

Oswald let go of her hand and spoke up.

“Luna, the past is forgiven. Fish Mommy loves you very much and just because she broke my leg years ago when life was very different, you shouldn't break her heart by refusing to see her. You love Fish Mommy, don't you?”

Luna blinked away tears as she nodded.

“And you would like to sleep over at her place tomorrow?” as Oswald asked that question, he smiled hopefully.

Luna nodded and the tears in Fish Mooney's blue and brown eyes changed to joy as she held out her arms to Luna.

“Give Momma a hug?”

“Yes! I love you, Fish Mommy!”

Luna got off the armchair, climbing up to the sofa and reaching for Fish as she wrapped her arms around her and held her tightly. Oswald got up, leaving the two of them to talk. Fish glanced up at him with gratitude shining in her gaze.

“Thank you Oswald,” she said.

Oswald smiled, nodded, and then limped out of the room.

Oswald needed a stiff drink after all that talk about the past and memories of literally painful times. He found Julian and Molly in the dining room and poured himself a drink, then leaned against the table as he sipped it.

“How did it go?” Molly asked.

“Fish explained everything to Luna, and Luna has agreed to stay over at her place tomorrow night, so I think it's okay now,” Oswald told her, “I am so relieved that talk is over! Fish is still with her in the front room, Luna's hugging her right now. I'm so glad who ever told her about Fish breaking my leg didn't cause lasting damage...” he gripped the glass a little tighter, “I really need to know who said that to my daughter!”

“At least Luna doesn't hate Fish for it,” Julian added, “That's what matters most.”

Molly's thoughts had shifted to another subject.

“Oswald, when we had the house searched you mentioned the cellar _and_ below it? What did you mean by that?”

Oswald blinked, looking at her intently as he sipped his drink and paused for thought. _This was a long kept secret, kept so well even Molly didn't know about it... _

“Not now, not until Fish goes home,” he said in a low voice, “Let's just say we sort of have a panic room in this house... a secure place. But I keep something in there.”

Julian looked at Oswald in surprise.

“Oh my god... no! It's not what I think it is?”

“What do you think it is?” Molly asked in confusion.

Julian gripped the arms of his chair as he looked back towards the door, then turned back to Oswald and kept his voice low.

“Those rumours... wartime? Oswald Cobblepot cleaned out the city of its gold and treasures and stashed them in a sub? The sub that sank? The sub that was raised and found empty by the authorities?”

Oswald winced. He didn't want to look, he could sense it. He looked at Molly. _Yes, she was glaring at him..._

“I can explain -”

“_We're sitting on feckin' fortune and you never told me?_” she fumed.

“No, Molly – a _stolen investment_, that's all – I'll show you after Fish leaves. It's nothing really, just a little investment stashed away... and I would have a _very_ hard time admitting I did steal all that gold back then, if the authorities found out about it now. It could ruin the unity pact! So I just left it there!”

“_No you didn't!”_ Molly said, keeping her voice low, _“You bloody squirrelled it away under the house!”_

“It's just a little bit of gold!” Oswald whispered.

Molly's eyes grew wide.

“You feckin' liar! I can see it in your face, Oswald! How much is a _little_ bit of gold?”

Oswald gave a sigh, briefly closing his eyes as he made a calculation, then he looked to Molly and spoke again.

“Back then, I gave a small portion to Ed to set him up to finance his own schemes... but then he married Lee and spent most of it, then he got a big house and a mortgage and had kids... I put some of mine into Cobblepot Industries and made some underworld investments and what's left is under the cellar. Some gold and precious jewels. Probably worth in excess of fifty million -”

“_Fucking what?”_ Molly exclaimed,_ “You call that a little investment? Oswald, you've got more treasure than Tutankhamen's bloody tomb down there!”_

Oswald smiled.

“Even Ed doesn't know about it. He thinks the money was gone long ago. But I didn't intentionally hide it from either of you! It was my gains from wartime, and I kept it. I had to – I would have gone to jail if I'd admitted I stole it!”

Molly shook her head as she looked at her husband.

“I get that, Oswald. But you could have told me!”

“That money will one day be for our children,” he reminded her, then glanced to Julian, “All our children,” he added.

Julian shrugged.

“I came out of Shepard's will very well. I've got a few million myself. But I still want to see the stolen treasure!”

Oswald laughed.

“I will show you both when Fish leaves,” he replied, keeping his voice low, “Molly, you can access the room – Julian, you will have to look down from above. I'm sorry, but the elevator can only go down as far as the cellar. There's a hidden hatch in the floor. The secure room below it is accessed by a ladder.”

Molly looked at her husband and started to smile.

“Is there anything else I don't know about you, Oswald Cobblepot?”

Oswald smiled back at her as his eyes sparkled.

“No my dear. You really _do_ know everything now!”

Molly wasn't thinking about hallucinations or lurking strangers as she put Luna to bed and read her a story, her mind was on that hidden room below the cellar. Julian waited in the hallway. Oswald stood at the top of the stairs, now and then calling through to security to confirm there was no sign of any intruders. All clear, he was told. Then Molly turned out the light and said goodnight to Luna, and as her daughter started to fall asleep, she left the room, closed the door, paused to check on Felix, then walked quickly back to the elevator where Julian was waiting for her.

“Ready?” Oswald asked as he limped up to join them.

“What did security say?” Julian asked.

“No intruders,” Oswald assured him, then he pulled aside the metal grill and they went into the elevator, then Oswald closed the door and hit the button for the basement level...

They reached the floor below ground and he opened the door and stepped out first as Molly and Julian joined him, then they watched as Oswald pushed aside an old table covered by a dust sheet, then he kicked back the edge of an old rug with the tip of his shoe and used his cane to turn it aside. Under it was a metal hatch, it had an air vent, and beside it, an illuminated keypad. Molly walked over to join him. Julian wheeled his chair close to the hatch and looked on as Oswald smiled proudly.

“The password – just prove I don't intend to hide anything from you – is the name of my dog. As you know, I used to own a dog called _Edward_.”

He gestured to Molly, who keyed in the name. The hatch opened up and a light came on below, a bright light. Molly looked down past the metal ladder set against the wall, she could see boxes and crates down there... and then she leaned closer.

“_Bloody hell!”_ she exclaimed as she caught sight of an open chest of gold coins.

Oswald stood there smiling proudly.

“My treasure!” he said, “And it's all ours! Please, do take a look.”

Molly climbed down the ladder first. She glanced around the vast room, it was well ventilated and dry and clean and full of boxes where gold and silver spilled out. Another item that caught her eye was an open treasure chest full of diamonds and other precious jewels... Oswald certainly had been a busy man in the war years...

Oswald had left this cane in the basement, and he climbed slowly and carefully down the ladder, then as he reached the bottom, he held on to the ladder to make up for the loss of his cane as pride shone even brighter in his gaze, along with a sparkle that reflected the treasure he had hidden away from the world.

“What do you think, Molly?”

She turned back to him and smiled.

“You crafty sod! You told me years ago you lost a sub full of valuables!”

“I lost a sub and then found it again,” he replied, “And I have to very slowly and carefully exchange some of this for cash, it will take many years – but most of this is for the future, for the kids. At the time I amassed this haul I was intending to build an empire with it. But I had plenty left over to save... and no one to share it with. But we have a family now and that has changed my priorities.”

She stood there close to the ladder, putting an arm around Oswald, partly to steady him and partly because she wanted to hug him at the sight of his great secret. But she did have one question...

“Why didn't you tell me about this before? We've been married almost eleven years and you never said a word! How am I supposed to take that, Oswald?”

“Because it's a vast fortune, Molly,” Oswald replied honestly, “And stolen during wartime – enough to tempt kidnappers and thieves and condemn me to life behind bars if this got out. The less you knew, the better – I consider it a _dangerous _secret to all who share it. But you have asked me, and I love you and...” he looked up as Julian smiled down, “And I love you too, Julian. And I trust you both. So as you asked, there can be no secret from either of you. But never breathe a word of this to anyone, Molly – or you, Julian.”

“I won't say a word... _Oh wow, those diamonds!_” Julian exclaimed, leaning closer to the hatch as he sat in his chair looking to the room below.

Then Oswald reached for the ladder, carefully making his way up as Molly followed behind, now and then placing a hand on the back of his damaged ankle as she ensured he reached the top safely. As he struggled to get out, Molly's laughter echoed below.

“Oh my god Oswald, if my Dad saw this he'd say, _You got your fat arse stuck in that hatch, have you, Oswald?_” she laughed again, playfully grabbing at his round behind as he laughed too and climbed free of the hatch, then Molly followed.

Oswald was glad to reach for his cane. Molly closed the hatch and sealed it, using the same password. She paused to put back the rug and the table, then they headed back towards the elevator, silently sharing the secret they would not speak of beyond this room.

Josh had returned home to find Selina in a bright and cheerful mood – unusual considering how sad she had been about Ivy lately. But today she was smiling and there was a shine to her eyes and as soon as he looked at her, Josh had felt an instant sense of joy to be home with his wife, sharing what he hoped would be a happy evening.

_And it was._

_In fact, it turned out to be an amazing, unforgettable evening, because Selina was planning a surprise..._

They had dinner.

He told her he was sorry, but he had to work tomorrow because Jax had time off for family reasons. Selina leaned on the table, looked at him and smiled sweetly as her curls framed her pretty face.

“Okay,” she said, and she was still smiling.

“What?” Josh asked, watching her as he wondered what she was so happy about.

She looked down at the table. Then she looked back at him again, their eyes met and she reached across and took hold of his hands.

“_I love you so much!”_

“I love you too,” he replied, smiling back at her as he wished she could be this happy every day. Selina was always full of life and laughter and fun – at least, she had been until Ivy had disappeared from their lives and then wound up in Arkham... but today, that sparkle was back.

“Do you remember how hard life used to be?” she asked as she let go of his hands. That look of joy was still shining in her eyes as she spoke again, “You and me in that tiny apartment, we thought life would never get any better... and look at you now, working for the underworld, one of Penguin's men. I'm so proud of you, and we've got this house and a great future...”

She giggled as she got up from the table, then she grabbed his hand, as he got up too and she led him over to the sofa and as he sat down, she climbed on to his lap and wrapped her arms around him, the tip of her nose brushed against his and then she kissed him softly.

“And we have so much room in this house! So much room for little Josh -”

“Oh, we're talking about my tiny cock, are we?” he said as he laughed.

Playfulness danced in her eyes as she held him close.

“If I was looking for tiny cock I'd get my microscope out!” she giggled again, grabbing him through his clothing and giving a gentle squeeze, then she let go and placed her hand on his shoulder, looking into his eyes as her voice softened.

“No, I don't mean little Josh like_ that_, I'm not teasing you,” she said, and she smiled again, biting her lip as she waited for the penny to drop.

_But it didn't._

“What do you mean?” Josh asked her.

“There's lots of room here for you and me _and_ little Josh... that's what we'll call the baby if it's a boy... the baby I'm having. Your baby...” she threw her head back and laughed, then she met his gaze as surprise registered... _Selina was pregnant?_  
“Baby?” he said.

“Yes, yes, _our_ baby – _your_ baby,_ I'm having your baby!_”

She gave a squeal and hugged him, then he kissed her and as he pulled back, he felt as stunned as he looked... they had said, if it happened, great, but they were relaxed about this, they hadn't sat down and said, _let's do this now,_ they had said, _It doesn't matter if we're not careful sometimes... We have plenty of time, but now would be nice... _

_And it was now. It had happened..._

Josh started to smile.

“You're pregnant?”

“Yes! Little Josh is on the way!”

She placed his hand on her belly.

Josh felt his heart fill with love for the child that was yet to be born, their child.

“Or little Selina! This baby might be a girl... a little Maria.”

“I love that name, Josh!”

They settled back on the sofa, as Josh held her, his pregnant wife.

_His wife was pregnant!_

It was still sinking in that he was going to be a father. He had never felt so excited and nervous and he felt like he wanted to shout it out to the world that Selina was having his baby.

“So,” Selina said, “Names... Josh for a boy and Maria for a girl.”

“That's a good start,” Josh agreed, holding her close, “I'm so excited, I'm thinking about plans for the nursery already!”

Selina leaned against his shoulder and turned her head, looking up at him.

“So we need to plan for what kind of nursery? Josh or Maria?”

Josh laughed softly.

“I don't know, let's just plan for a _baby_ nursery!”

She laughed too.

“Okay, a baby nursery...”

They spent that evening making their plans, laughing and talking about the future, sharing the joy of knowing their child was on the way. And Josh thought he had to do no more than spend the day at the Cobblepot house tomorrow and then return home to his wife. He had that easy job again, hanging around the house, as he hoped to find clues to prove Molly's intruder had been real.

_But it wasn't destined to be an easy day._

_He didn't know it yet, but tomorrow would bring with it a nightmare as the family was plunged into terror by an intruder who was very real indeed..._

Luna woke up as her bedside light was switched on. She blinked away sleep and sat up, then gave a gasp as she looked in surprise to see Mr Giggles standing in her bedroom by the window. He wore the same clown face paint over his scarred, swollen features, and his jacket was a little torn, there was fabric missing from the lapel.

“Mr Giggles!” she exclaimed, “Where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere!”

Jeremiah put a gloved finger to his lips.

“_Shh...”_ he whispered, stooping as he leaned a little nearer, “I don't want anyone to know I'm here yet. I want it to be a surprise...” he gave a low chuckle, then as a lock of green hair hung in his eyes, he spoke again.

“I want you to help me with something tomorrow.”

“I won't be here, I'm staying with Fish Mommy for the weekend,” Luna said, “I'm leaving in the afternoon.”

Jeremiah paused.

“_Damn...” _he muttered then he thought about his plan and forced a big smile. “Okay, that's fine! But I want you to do something for me, before you leave. It's_ so_ easy. I'm going to surprise your family with a game! _It's called hide the cell phone_.”

He stepped closer and handed her a black velvet bag with a silk drawstring.

“Before Fish Mommy arrives, I want you to sneak around the house and take Mommy and Daddy's cell phones and put them in this bag. Then I want you to take Julian's phone, Cain's phone, and Penguin's, too. Put them all in this bag and leave it under your pillow.”

She looked at him in confusion.

“Like hide and seek but with phones?”

“Yes!” Jeremiah said with a bright smile, “Your family will have so much fun...” there was an odd expression in his eyes that she didn't quite understand as he giggled, “I will have _so_ much fun tomorrow!” he said, then he stepped away from the bed.

“Goodnight, Luna – and don't forget, hide the cell phones!”

Then he opened up the door, peeked out, then gave her a wave with his fingers before slipping out into the darkened hallway and closing the door quietly behind him.

Luna looked at the bag. It was made of soft fabric, but it smelled bad. She put it on the floor under her bed, hoping her family would like Mr Giggles game – but he was a clown and clowns were funny, so she guessed they would probably like it very much. Then she went back to sleep, unaware of the horror her family was soon to face...


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Luna found the game was fun to play. She waited until after lunch, while Mommy was in the garden with Felix, and then she played on the swing, waited for Cain to go back inside and while her mother's back was turned, she swiped her phone from the bench in the garden. Cain had gone inside to get a warm drink and she passed him in the kitchen, went up the stairs and into his room, found his cell phone on charge and grabbed it. Then she hurried back to her own room and put them in the bag and pushed it back under her bed.

She had to wait for the third phone, Julian was on his treadmill, and she smiled as she watched him let go of the handrails and take a few more steps. He was getting better. Maybe he wouldn't need that chair for much longer...He was tired as he stopped walking, then leaned heavily on the rail as he stepped off the machine, grabbing at his chair, then the bedside table, leaning on everything in his path. Finally he was able to go over to the bed, where he laid on his back, then reached for his phone. He smiled as he made a call, and it was answered quickly.

“Oswald... I've got some great news... are you downstairs?”

He paused to listen, still smiling.

“You're going outside to join Molly? Well, I've got news for both of you: _Three minutes! I did it, I walked for three minutes!_”

He laid back against the pillow, his eyes shining with joy as he listened, then he spoke again,

“Yes, later – that's a great idea. I miss you both too. Maybe we should explain to the kids soon, tell them what's happened? They need to hear it before we go public and then things can be closer in here, and better for us - maybe sharing the same room?”

Julian listened again.

“Yes, we'll talk later...yes, I am going to rest for a while – I've earned it!”

As Julian ended the call, Luna stood outside the door feeling confused:

_What did he mean, what news did they have to tell? And what was this about sharing a room? _

Luna frowned, thinking about the new baby that was on the way.

“I'm _not _sharing my room with a noisy baby!” she said under her breath, “We have _lots_ of rooms in this house - baby belongs in the nursery!”

Then she waited. Julian turned on his side and soon fell asleep. She crept in and grabbed his phone then hurried back to her room and slipped it into the bag. Now she only had two phones to hide... Penguin's, and Daddy's...

In the garden, Molly hugged Oswald as she smiled brightly.

“_Three minutes?_ He walked for three minutes?”

“That's what he said – and he let go of the hand rail and didn't fall.”

Molly looked up to the bedroom window, longing to hug Julian.

“I can't wait to hold him in my arms!”

“I feel the same. He's an exceptional person. Our sweet Julian has no idea how strong he is to achieve this.”

Molly let go of Oswald and turned to the bench.

“I'll call him -”

“No, wait until later, he said he was resting.”

Molly looked at the bench, then under it and turned back to Oswald.

“I could have sworn I left my phone on the table!”

“Maybe it's indoors,” Oswald replied, and he drew his own phone from his pocket, calling her number. Molly looked about the garden, hearing no ring tone...

“You're probably right,” she agreed, thinking about the stress she had been through with the hallucinations, and how busy the kids kept her, all while she was dealing with the early months of pregnancy. It wasn't surprising she was a little forgetful right now.

Upstairs, Luna heard her mother's phone ringing, the sound faint and muffled, and she turned back from the top of the stairs, hurrying to her room, where she pulled the bag from under the bed, then as the phone stopped ringing, she turned it off, then did the same to the other phones, too. Then she put them back in the bag, hid it and breathed a relieved sigh:

_That was close. They had almost found the phones, and that would spoil the_ _game... _

She went back downstairs in time to see Josh talking to her father in the hallway. Daddy had just come in from the garden and he assured Josh that Molly was very well, and then said he could take a break if he wanted to, because Felix was about to go upstairs for a nap and he and Molly wanted to go upstairs to rest for a while, too. Josh said he would rather stand guard in case of intruders, and then he added, “Sir, my wife is pregnant. She told me last night. We're having a baby!”

“That is wonderful news, Josh! Congratulations!” he said warmly, shaking his hand as Josh smiled.

Then Luna watched as Daddy went into the front room. She decided Penguin's phone would have to be next, and headed off to the kitchen where she found him making a big sandwich.

“Would you like me to make you a sandwich, Luna?” Penguin asked as he smiled kindly.

“No thanks, I'm okay,” she replied with a smile as she held his phone behind her back and pressed the button to power off. Then she left the kitchen as he stood there with the sandwich in his flippers, eyes gleaming at the sight of the huge filling of eggs and tomato and cheese and chutney, unaware that she had swiped his phone from the kitchen table...

Luna's biggest challenge was Daddy. He kept his phone in his pocket almost all the time. Mommy was already playing the game, turning over cushions and putting her hand down the sofa, looking for her phone. Luna watched, wondering if Mommy didn't like this game, she seemed very cross that her phone was missing...

Luna left the room and walked out the hallway, she saw Josh stranding there, looking up towards the staircase.

“Hi Josh.”

He turned around, saw Luna standing there and smiled down at her.

“Hi Luna.”

“I'd like you to join in, but I don't think you're allowed to play the game,” Luna told him.

“What game?” Josh asked.

She shrugged.

“It doesn't matter, maybe you can play next time.”

“Is it a fun game?” Josh asked.

“_Mr Giggles says so.”_

Josh looked at her intently, knowing any mention of this man who was either the intruder, or a strange imaginary friend – which made him a _huge_ coincidence – needed to be investigated.

“Is he here right now?” Josh asked, looking about the hallway.

Luna laughed.

“No, he's not here now. But he will be later.”

“He's not going with you to Fish Mommy's house?”

She shook her head.

“He likes to hang about in this house, he likes this house a lot,” she replied. Just then Molly crossed the hallway, opened up the front door and Fish Mooney entered the house.

“She still wants to sleep over?” Fish asked Molly, and sounded anxious.

“Of course she does!” Molly assured her.

“Oh no!” Luna said, “I have to go... I have things to do before I leave!”

Then as Fish looked over at her, Luna said she would be back in a minute, and hurried up the stairs.

Moments later, Luna returned with her overnight bag, ready to spend the weekend with Fish Mommy. She had put the bag containing the phones under her pillow, just as Mr Giggles had asked. She hoped he wouldn't mind that she had not been able to get to Daddy's phone - but at least everyone else's had been hidden now...She said goodbye, hugging Mommy and Daddy and then running up the stairs to meet Julian at the top in his chair, giving him a hug too. Then she went back downstairs as Penguin waddled up to the door to wave her off.

“Be good, Luna!” he reminded her with a smile.

“I'm always good when I stay with Fish Mommy!” she replied.

Then Fish took her by the hand, lead her from the house and Oswald and Molly stood at the front door, giving a wave as Luna waved back and the car drove away. They didn't know it at the time, but staying away for the night would spare little Luna the terrible ordeal the rest of the family were about to go through – but to those still under the roof of the mansion, it was still such an ordinary weekend... at least, for now...

_But the nightmare had already begun across the other side of town, for Ed Nygma and his lover..._

Beth Crane had finished work at noon and gone home, leaving behind the luxury of the apartment at the top floor of the asylum for the luxury of her palatial home on the outskirts of the city. And when she arrived, Ed was waiting there for her, he had used the spare key to get in, stripped naked and climbed into her bed. The champagne was on ice and they had shared a drink in bed, before fucking in bed – Ed's favourite thing to do with Beth, who was, most definitely the world's best mistress. But after coming hard and then resting in her arms, Ed had started to feel... _odd._ Light headed, wiped out, weary...

“Beth, do you feel okay?” he asked, and as she gave no response, he looked down at her as she lay with her head slumped on his shoulder.

Panic had kicked in just as he tried to sit up and she rolled off him, slumped unconscious as her platinum hair fell over her delicate features.

“_Beth!”_ he said again, shaking her as her body stayed limp, then he felt his heart start to race as he looked to the champagne glass next to his side of the bed and saw powdery residue stuck to it:

_They had been drugged?_

That had been his last thought as he lost consciousness.

Ed woke up again as he was dragged down a step and his head hit the floor painfully. He gave a groan and slowly opened his eyes, looking up to see a man in shadow as the light shone behind him. He was dragged again, and then he heard a laugh and....  
_No._

_No way could this be Jeremiah Valeska. He was dead, he had been dead for years..._

“It's like this,” Jeremiah said, leaning over him as the light caught on his burned face and in his drugged state, his purple coat looked too bright as Ed's eyes ached, “I'm going to kill Oswald and his family. But you're first, because he cares about you. I want him to hurt for_ you_ before I hurt him and his fucking wife... I hate Molly Cobblepot as much as I hate Oswald! I owe them both payback. Can you understand my way of thinking, Edward?”

Ed was breathless with panic as he felt a surge of strength. The car door was open. Beth was on the seat, laid across it and tied up, still out cold.

“_No one gets your thinking, Valeska!” _he said sharply,_ “You're full of shit!” _

He lunged upward, tugging at his coat as Jeremiah toppled and they rolled together, coming to a painful stop as their backs hit the car and Ed aimed a fist at his face.

_But in his drugged state, Ed missed._

_Then it all happened too fast:_

His head was still spinning, his body felt heavy as lead as he slumped back and Jeremiah grabbed him by the throat. He saw a flash of steel, then felt a burning pain in his gut.

“_Don't_ struggle!” Jeremiah said firmly, and to prove his point, drew out the blade and stabbed him again.

Ed cried out, but that cry became weakened to silence as pain cut through his body as blood ran from his open wounds. His head was spinning again as agony took over. Jeremiah raised him from the floor and shoved him into the back of the car, where he lay face down, naked and bleeding out over his unconscious lover. Jeremiah covered him with a blanket, to ensure the view of his captives was obscured, then the car door slammed shut as a jolt of pain reverberated through his stab sounds as Ed struggled to stay awake:

_This couldn't be happening. _

_Jeremiah was alive and he had just drugged them and stabbed him and now... Where the hell was he taking them?_

A thousand thoughts raced through Ed's frightened mind as his guts throbbed with pain and he bled warm on to Beth:

_I shouldn't have carried on the affair._

_I wouldn't be in this mess if I'd ended it like Oswald told me to!_

_Why didn't I listen to Oswald?_

_WHY am I so damned weak when it comes to sex?_

_And I think I'm bleeding to death..._

_Oh no, I'm never going to see Lee and the kids again!_

For all the years he had spent taking meds to shut him up and mentally pushed him away in times of stress, Ed needed Riddler. He wanted him to take over and handle this. He was fully aware there was little chance of coming out of this mess alive...

Then the car left the garage as Jeremiah headed for the road, laughing darkly as he imagined the look on Oswald's faced when he was confronted with his oldest friend Ed, stabbed and bleeding to death before his eyes...

“You had better last long enough to surprise Oswald!” Jeremiah said with a chuckle, “It's much more fun if you die in front of him! Try and hang on, Ed – do it for me!” he briefly looked back, giving Ed an evil smile. Then the car moved onward as Ed's guts throbbed as he started to pass out, and the last thing he heard was the laughter of Jeremiah Valeska...

“_Where am I? Just...just tell me where I am... Why is this happening?”_

Ed had whispered those words as he slowly opened his eyes. His body ached all over, and that throb in his guts was still present, but the pain was dull now. He had no strength to make a sudden movement, he couldn't fight back. He could barely speak as Velaska's shadow towered over him.

“You're in Oswald's attic! Here's a fun story for you,” he said as his bright eyes gleamed with malice and he rubbed his gloved hands together, “A while back, Oswald had alterations done to the mansion – to make life easier for Julian. That's when I saw an opportunity to break open an old sealed door around the back of the house, it was bricked up but the bricks were crumbling. A big tree hides it from view, it used to lead to what was the old staff quarters many years ago. But since then, the rooms have been changed around in that part of the house – so I made myself a little passage way into the house and from there, I figured out how to get around the cameras and when the house was empty, I tinkered with the sealed door on the top floor and found my way into the attic. I can now access the sealed section of attic from the fake brickwork I put in place in the wall – or I can go up from the top floor, through the door that used to be nailed shut. I have _so _many ways to creep about this house to get the attic....” he laughed, “I've been here for months! Living in the attic space – _and_ creeping about through the cavities in the walls!”

Jeremiah placed a bag on the floor and tipped it. Cell phones slid out, all switched off and out of his reach as Jeremiah smirked at the sight of Ed, naked and bleeding under that blanket he had taken from the car to cover him. Beth Crane was in the corner, her cuffed hands pulling a dust sheet around her body as she looked at Jeremiah with terror in her eyes. She was gagged. They both had their hands cuffed in front of them, and Ed couldn't get up because of the stab wounds. Beth was still too doped up to move – she had drank much more of the drugged booze than Ed, but if she did move, Jeremiah made a mental note to stab her, too.

“I see my trusting little friend has let Mr Giggles down... Daddy's phone's not here. Oh well, never mind...I can work around that, the game can carry on!”

“_You're insane!” _Ed gasped as he pressed the hands cuffed in front of him to the wounds that throbbed as he curled beneath the blanket, aware that blood was staining it, _“Let... us... go!”_

Jeremiah looked down at him.

“Well... I need to think about that... Oh wait! I already have an answer..._ NO!_”

He laughed manically as Ed looked up at him, feeling all fight leave his body along with more of his blood as the boards beneath him grew warm and wet.

“I find it rather amusing that crazy Ed Riddler Nygma calls ME insane!” Jeremiah said, then he checked his watch as a look of dark glee came to his gaze, “It's almost time! Let's start this the way we mean to carry on...”

He pulled a cell phone from his pocket. Ed recognised it as his own.

“I'm calling your wife,” Jeremiah told him.

He set the phone to video call and made a call to Lee.

As she answered there was confusion in her eyes, and then, instant horror as she saw the scarred face of a stranger looking back at her.

“Who are you?” she demanded, then she realised and terror kicked in, “Why have you got my husband's phone?”

“You don't recognise me, Lee?” asked Jeremiah.

_And she knew his voice._

It was there in her face as if the floor beneath her had just crumbled, then a look of fire came to her eyes that reminded him of the days when she had been queen of the Narrows.

“_If you hurt him, if you do anything to him -”_

“Here he is,” Jeremiah cut in, “I kidnapped him... along with Beth Crane. They were together so I thought, why not?”

He swung the phone around. Ed raised his head from the floor and looked desperately at the image of his wife.

“_Lee – help me!”_

“_What were you doing with Beth Crane?”_

Lee was going frantic with worry as she said that, then she shook her head, “No, forget that – _where are you?_”

“Lee, I'm in the attic at -” Ed cried out, his words cut off by a swift kick from Jeremiah's boot.

“That's all you get, Lee! Bye!”

Jeremiah cut off the call. Ed was gasping for air as he bled heavier beneath the blanket.

“Now...” Jeremiah said with a smirk, “Let's take this to phase two!”

Then he walked over to the brick wall at the low, sloping end of the attic space and gave the middle section a sharp push. It swung open to reveal his hidden room. There was an old chair in there, and some recording equipment. The light was on and Ed saw a mattress and blankets too. He wondered if he could crawl over there and shut Jeremiah in... but what use would that be? They still needed to get out of here and Beth was barely conscious and he was bleeding to death...

Jeremiah lifted off a loose board and looked down into the room below, then he chuckled.

“Oswald and Molly are going back downstairs to look for Molly's phone... it seems Julian has noticed his is missing too...”

“You're... _watching_ them?” Ed looked at him in horror as he lay on his side, and Jeremiah laughed.

“Been at it for weeks, Ed!”

He left the hidden room and went back to the main attic space. The door was open, the spyhole was still exposed. Ed noted that was _very _bad news. He wasn't worried about getting caught any more. That meant he was about to make a move... Jeremiah gathered up the cell phones, put them in the bag and slipped them back into his pocket, then he hurried for the hidden room, went inside and began to climb down a narrow crawlspace that would lead out the crumbling stairway beyond.

Ed summoned his strength and looked at Beth, who could barely focus as a tear ran down her face.

“I'm going to try something...” he gasped, “I just need to take a breath first...”

Pain registered on his face as he rolled on to his belly and began to slowly crawl towards the open door of the hidden room, leaving a trail of blood smeared on the dusty boards as he used the last of his strength to focus on that light and that doorway and his only hope of rescue...

Molly and Oswald had gone back upstairs again, and now Josh stood there in the upper hallway, watching as they looked again in the bedroom and Molly spoke up.

“This is weird... I can't find my phone, now Julian said his phone has gone missing... Cain swears he left his phone on charge but it's not there -”

Oswald's phone rang and as he picked up, his expression changed to one of horror.

“_What?_ _When did this happen, Lee? Are you sure? Oh my god...”_

He looked at Molly as his face paled and he thought of that file downstairs, locked away... He had not believed it possible.

_Jeremiah was alive, and now he had taken Ed..._

“Call the GCPD. I'll have my people on standby to back you up. We will find him!”

Then he paused as Lee said the cops were already on their way to take her statement.

“You said it was a video call?” Oswald said in a hushed voice, “Tell me something - what did he look like, Lee?” as he asked that question, he set the phone down on the table, on loudspeaker.

“_It was definitely Jeremiah,” _she replied,_ “But he's older. His face was all burned and scarred up under his face paint. He was wearing a purple jacket. He looked like a clown... a clown from hell.”_

“Thank you, I needed that confirmation. I'll be in touch,” he said in a hushed voice, then he ended the call and looked at Molly.

“I am _so_ sorry!” he told her tearfully, “Molly, there was a file hidden away at Arkham... Beth Crane found it and handed it to me because she rightly believed the underworld should have this information first... a few years back Jeremiah Velaska was apprehended by the Bat, but there was a struggle and Velaska fell into a vat of chemicals. He was badly burned...”

Molly's eyes widened as she thought of the intruder. Her heart was racing as a shiver ran down her spine:

_That monster she had struggled with was Velaska?_

“Where is he now?” Julian asked as he wheeled his chair to the doorway, looking as shocked as he felt to hear that news.

“He escaped and was believed to have died - but apparently not. Lee just got a video call from Velaska. _He's got Edward!_”

As Oswald's voice filled with panic at the fate of his best friend, no one saw the apparently sealed door standing a jar as Jeremiah listened, then he quickly closed it again, locking it from the inside as he went back up towards the hidden room. He had one more task to do before the fun could begin...

Josh had his back turned to the sealed door at the end of the hall as he stood there outside the main bedroom, looking in, waiting for instruction.

“What would you like me to do, sir?” he asked.

Oswald shook his head,

“Nothing, Josh – just stay here with my wife and the kids, I have to call Jax...”

Oswald went over to the window and called his General, explaining the emergency and instructing him to have men on standby to assist the GCPD. Molly stepped back just as Julian caught her hand, she glanced at him as he quietly said, everything would be okay.

“No,” she told him, shaking her head, “If that bastard's out there, alive, I want my gun – _Oswald, I want my gun out of the safe now!_”

Oswald had just finished his call to Jax.

“You want your gun? What about your hallucinations, Molly? This is why I didn't tell you about the file! I was waiting until it had passed, I was afraid you might start imagining worse fears! I thought he was dead, I thought it was over!”

Molly wasn't angry with him, she was just resigned to the fact that her worst fears had been proven true:

_Velaska was alive and... _

_Oh god no, he was Mr Giggles?_

“He's been in this house, Oswald. That man you described, that's him! He's been talking to Luna!”

Oswald's head was spinning with panic.

“I need to call Fish!” he said.

Up in the attic, as Jeremiah had emerged from the broken stairway and returned to the hidden room, Beth had gave a muffled gasp of fright to see him reaching for a recording device as he called a number from a phone he took from his pocket.

Ed laid still in the middle of the attic floor, playing dead, hoping Velaska would see him there and assume he died trying to crawl to safety. He couldn't move, even if Velaska kicked him, or even stuck that knife in him again, he would not react, because then, it really would be the end. He would just have to take it, and he was ready for it, because he wanted to get out of here...

Jeremiah didn't look his way as he waited for the call to be answered.

“Security,” came the reply.

He played the recording. Oswald's voice came though loud and clear:

“_This is Oswald, I'm restricting security to the perimeter of the grounds and want all internal cameras off tonight, my family are spending the evening together and we require absolute privacy...”_

Jeremiah chuckled as he ended the call, then he disappeared into the darkened crawlspace once more as Ed breathed a relieved sigh. Then with determination set in his gaze, he looked to the open doorway and into the hidden room, where his only hope of escape was waiting...

He crawled slowly and painfully up to the doorway. He felt as if he was about pass out, but he had almost made it now, it was just a little further... Ed took a deep breath and weakly crawled inside, then rolled on to the low mattress and gave a groan of pain as his insides throbbed. He grabbed at the corner of the mattress and turned, then pulled himself over it to the other side of the floorspace, leaving a bloody trail behind him as finally, he lay on his front, bleeding out over that spyhole Jeremiah had made in the floor to the room below, where he hoped someone would notice the blood dripping through...

In the master bedroom, Molly was listening as Oswald spoke to Fish.

“Yes,” he said to her, “We're positive Jeremiah's alive. We also think he's Mr Giggles. Please talk to Luna about this – she might be able to reveal information...”

And then Molly heard something, like a drop of rain or a drip from a tap...

There it was again, a single crimson drip that hit the smooth, neatly made bed, staining dark on the embroidered cover.

“Did you see that?” she said, casting a horrified glance at Julian.

“See what?” he asked.

Oswald was still talking to Fish.

Molly stood by the bed and looked up. It dripped down again, hitting her cheek as it ran in a warm red droplet. Julian's eyes widened in alarm, as did her own as she touched her face and saw blood shining on her fingertip.

“_Oswald...”_

Yes, Fish, thank you. I'll be waiting for your call,” Oswald said.

“_Oswald!”_

He ended the call and looked around, then stared in horror at the blood on Molly's face as she looked up to the crack in the ceiling.

“It came from up there!” she said as her face paled.

Oswald limped over to the wardrobe and took out his cane with a penguin shaped head, ready to draw his blade.

“Sir – allow me to go first,” Josh said, and he hurried to the hallway, grabbed the hook from the wall and pulled down the ladder, then with his gun drawn, he began to make his way up the steps, sights set on the attic above, ready to confront what ever lie in wait...

In the bedroom, Molly's mind was made up on the immediate course of action.

“Call security,” she said to Oswald, “I'm getting the kids out of here!”

She ran up the hallway, yelling for Cain, and as he stepped out of his room, she grabbed his hand.

“We have to get out of here,” she told him, “All of us – Oswald, I'm fetching Felix!”

“Already got him,” said Julian as he backed his chair out of the nursery with Felix in his arms, “We'll take the elevator, fetch Penguin and get out of here. I don't care if we have to sit in Jim Gordon's office until this is over, we can't stay here, Velaska's been in the house.”

“But he's not here now if he's got Ed!” Oswald said as he hurried out to join them in the hallway.

Molly looked to the attic hatch, then back at her husband.

“Who do you_ think_ could be bleeding up there?” she said in a low voice.

“_Ed? No!”_ Oswald gasped, making a dash of the ladder.

But the ladder was abruptly tugged upwards and the hatch door slammed shut.

“_Josh?” _Molly yelled, and no reply came back.

She turned sharply back to Oswald.

“_We have to take the kids and get out – now!” _she said urgently.

Just then a thud came from above as Oswald drew his blade. Molly grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

“No!” she said, “We get the kids out. Then you call security and let them go up there. I'm not risking you again, Oswald – Velaska's alive. I want the kids out and then I want my gun because he's _not_ getting another chance to hurt you, he can take_ me_ on!”

“I can't allow that!” Oswald said as Molly hurried towards the elevator as Cain ran along side her, Julian had Felix on his lap as he wheeled his chair towards the quickest means of escape.

“_I want my fucking gun!”_ Molly said under her breath, _“This time, I'm going to finish that bastard!”_

And the attic hatch sprang open as a blur of purple leapt from above. Velaska glared at Molly and then Oswald.

“_You all die tonight!”_ he said in a low voice, then he raised the knife and gave a roar as he lunged at Oswald, who thrust his own blade at the intruder as Molly stepped in with a yell, clawing at flesh and face paint as Jeremiah tried to get a clear stab at Oswald.

Julian was closest to the boys and the elevator as he shoved Felix towards his terrified brother.

“_Get in!” _he whispered as he reached for the grill and tugged it back. Cain ran inside, dragging his baby brother with him.

“Stay low and stay quiet!” Julian warned him, hitting the button for the basement level. He caught the frightened look on Cain's face as the elevator began to slide downward as he clutched his crying brother, then they were gone.

As Oswald and Molly fought with Jeremiah, Molly gave a yell as she was flung against the wall. Oswald rolled on the floor with Valeska, who struggled free and made a run for the top of the stairs. Molly was picking her self up from the floor, her hand to her belly as she looked at Julian.

“_I'll kill that bastard!”_ she raged, then she grabbed Oswald's dropped dagger and ran up the hallway, just as Oswald reached Jeremiah who stood there, breathless, raising his hands in mock surrender.

“You got me, Oswald!” he said.

As Oswald lunged, Jeremiah grabbed at his jacket, their heads connected sharply with a crack and suddenly Oswald was falling, hitting each stair with a thump as he rolled and twisted and gave a yell as something went crack in his damaged knee.

“_BASTARD!” _Molly yelled, and Oswald's blade drove into Jeremiah's side like a hot knife through butter.

“_You did that to my Oswald, I'll fuckin'' slaughter you!”_ she vowed, giving the knife a twist.

Jeremiah staggered back, gasping for air. Then he started to laugh as he pulled the knife from his body and watched as blood dripped from the tip.

“One good thing about my accident,” he said as he looked at her coldly, “I don't seem to feel pain like I used to, Molly...” Then his fist connected with her face and as she fell back, the world turned dark.

Jeremiah looked to the bottom of the stairs. Oswald gave a groan as he started to move, he was still alive and so was Molly... that was how he wanted to keep them, for now... He turned back to Julian, laughing at the sight of him sitting in that chair, terrified and defenceless.

“You're not going to put up a fight, are you?” he asked darkly.

_Not yet, _Julian thought as he shook his head, saying nothing. Jeremiah smiled as his eyes glittered coldly.

“That's what I like to see – co operation at last!” he added, and laughed as he gave Julian's chair a shove, knocking it sideways.

Up in the attic, Josh was feeling dazed. He pressed his hands to bare, dusty boards, then raised his head and looked about the room. He saw Beth Crane tied up and drowsy, then saw a trail of blood that led to the fake brickwork, where the hidden door was open. Ed Nygma was in there, on his back on a mattress and bleeding out from two stab wounds to his gut.

“_Help me...”_ he whispered breathlessly as he turned his head, watching as Josh staggered to his feet.

_Now_ it had all come back to him:

Josh recalled going up into the attic, and that was when Jeremiah had lunged, slamming him to the ground. He must have passed out for a few seconds, but he was gone now... The hatch was closed. He guessed Velaska had pulled it up and then slammed him to the floor, he recalled a thud, that was when he had turned around and seen him for a split second... He was gone now - and that meant he was down in the house... Josh hurried over to the doorway, stepped through into the hidden room and fell to his knees beside Ed, who was bleeding heavily.

“It's okay, I'll fetch help!”

He drew his phone from his pocket. The screen was cracked and flickering. _No signal._

“Maybe not...”

Josh looked out across the attic floor, saw his gun was in a dusty corner where it had fallen. Something wet was running down his face and he wiped it away with the back of his hand:

Blood.

But he just had a small cut and tiny bump on his head. That was _nothing_ compared to the mess Ed was in. He thought quickly, hoping he knew enough about first aid to try and slow the bleeding while he figured out what to do next... The family were downstairs in grave danger, but before he could pick up his gun and try to help them, Ed was dying in front of him - and he had to do _something_ to save him...


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers!
> 
> Heres a WARNING for Chapter 10:  
Strong language, blood, guts and violence and mentions of rape, threats and fear and... this is a VERY intense chapter.

Chapter 10

The elevator stopped. The metal grill had been open all the way down as Cain had held on to his younger brother and they had watched the descent. Felix was still crying.

“It's okay, we just have to hide for a while,” Cain whispered, lifting his younger brother and taking a cautious step out into the darkness.

He carried Felix over to a corner near the place where Daddy kept his wine and champagne stored, then he sat down and Felix sat with him, looking up at him with frightened eyes.

“Mama, Dada,” he said quietly, and Cain put his arm around his brother.

“It's alright,” he whispered, feeling as scared as he looked as he stared into the darkness towards the elevator, thinking about what had just happened up above, “Mom and Dad and Julian can handle this... They'll call the cops and that scary guy will be arrested... we just have to wait here...”

Then he said no more, as he did what Julian asked him to do, stay low and quiet... He knew sooner or later the basement door would open, or someone would call that elevator. And he just hoped when they came down to the basement, it would be family come to save them and not the clown man come to get them...

“_Molly...WAKE UP!”_

She heard his voice.

Velaska had spoken in her ear.

_It all rushed back to her, a fist in her face, the world turning black... _

_Oswald... he had pushed him down the stairs, where was Oswald?_

She pulled herself up to her knees and blinked, saw she was kneeling on the floor of the dining room. Oswald was beside her, sat on the floor leaning against the wall. His cane was missing but he was very close to the poker that hung on a hook beside the fireplace, and she hoped he knew that. His leg was hurting, he had a hand pressed to his knee as he perspired, turning his head and looking at her.

“I'm sorry, Molly,” he whispered.

“Don't ever be,” she whispered back, “Can you walk?”

“Just about,” Oswald replied, as a trickle of blood ran down his face. He looked battered and bruised from that fall. Injuring his crippled leg was the last thing he had needed. Julian was on the floor beside Oswald, he was leaning against the other side of the fireplace and as he looked at them, he glanced to the fire poker and then looked away again as Velaska paced the room, then turned around.

_Great,_ Molly thought silently,_ We all have the same idea. Velaska's going to get it from one of us..._

He stood before them, armed with a gun. Julian couldn't make a sudden move, neither could Oswald, and Molly was still weakened by the punch that had knocked her out. Jeremiah smiled, looking down at them.

“Well, this is a lovely reunion,” he began, “All thanks to that darling daughter of yours! I told her to hide the cell phones. She thought it was a game!”

Murder shone in Oswald's eyes as he glared up at Valeska. In his mind, he had already killed him many times and he would kill him many more for this. _When he got the chance to do it for real, his blood would run through the halls of this mansion,_ he vowed...

Molly's head was throbbing and her cheek was bruised. He had knocked her out, and she wasn't ready yet to find the strength to fight back. She stayed there, not moving as he leaned close and spoke in her ear:

“_Did you really think you could get away with what you did to ME ten years ago?”_

He grabbed her by the throat, aiming a gun at Oswald's face as he caught a fraction of a movement.

“Don't make me kill you yet, I've only just got started,” Jeremiah said, and he kept his grip on her throat as he glared down at Molly.

“_Did you honestly think you could get away with what you did, Molly? You're going to die tonight, so is your husband and your lover, and your kids! That is what you get for screwing with MY life!”_ rage shone in his eyes, _“Are you scared yet? Are you, Molly? You should have been scared from the start,_ _you've been in a pool of sharks since the day you came to this city and let Oswald take you to his bed. It was always going to end like this!” _

She glared back at him as she sucked in a breath and he squeezed her throat harder.

“_Fuck you!”_ she gasped, and he shoved her backwards, slamming her against the fireplace as she dragged in air, then thought about the baby. _No, she couldn't think about the baby... she had to focus on getting out of here, Getting the kids out... saving everyone...then, she would worry about whether or not this baby would make it after the way Velaska had fought with her..._ The room was spinning and she was still trying to breathe again as she coughed and pressed a hand to her chest, gasping for more air.

Jeremiah grabbed her by the hair, dragging her forward as she gave a yell, and suddenly her head was back and the gun was in her face. Velaska drew a knife from his belt and tossed it to Julian, who looked at it in horror.

“Let's play your father's parlour game, shall we?” he said, pausing to giggle, “Let me see... What choice shall I give you...”  
He paused, kicking Oswald's damaged leg as he gave a yell of pain.

“I saw that. You moved! _Don't_ try anything, or I blow her face off!”

Tears of pain and rage had come to his eyes as Oswald clutched at his leg.

“Julian,” said Jeremiah, “You're going to _love_ this one! Oh, Shepard would have loved this one too!” he laughed,_ “Would you rather pick up that knife and stab your pregnant lover in the belly, or stab yourself?”_

Julian's face paled. He stared up at Velaska, and then he grabbed the knife.

“That's easy,” he replied.

“_Julian, no!” _Molly yelled.

The blade moved in a blur, Julian stabbed the knife into his arm just above the wrist, drawing blood and then dragging it out again as the wound started to bleed and pain registered on his face, quickly replaced by anger.

“I meant, stab _yourself _in the _guts_,” Jeremiah said to him.

Julian glared at him.

“You didn't specify. _Guess I win that one, fucker!_”

Jeremiah responded by dragging Molly up by her hair as she gave a yell, and then he pressed the gun to her head.

“_Who to kill first... Oh! I have an idea! Now let's play, find and kill the children!”_

Oswald was clutching at his knee, fighting off the kind of pain that made him want to puke, pass out or do both at once as he looked in horror at his old enemy and now, real panic kicked in.

“_No, not my kids! Please, Jeremiah! You came here ultimately for me! Take me. Kill me. Leave Molly and Julian and the kids, just let them live...Please don't kill my boys!”_

Tears ran down his face as Jeremiah looked on in amusement.

“Actually, I'm not going to kill them. I think I'll make _you_ do it. You kill them, Oswald. You pick up that knife Julian just stabbed himself with, and kill them. Or I shoot Molly, then I shoot your shared boyfriend too.”

Velaska still had hold of her hair as she drew in a tight breath.

“_Let him shoot me, Oswald!”_

Jeremiah chuckled.

“Go on, Oswald.. call the boys. They'll trust you and come running.”

“I will _never_ hurt my kids!” Oswald sobbed.

Julian had just formed a plan. It was something that made him sick to his stomach – but nothing could make him sicker than thinking about what Jeremiah had just said... He cast a sideways glance at Oswald, who looked at him, knowing he had a plan, but unable to ask what it was.

“Well, I've had enough of this shit,” Julian said with a smirk, “Time for some honesty here, Mr J – I'm only fucking them for what I can get. They're worth millions!”

Jeremiah stared at him.

“Go on...”

Julian laughed as he looked up at him.

“I must confess I'm enjoying this. You're even worse than my old,l man Shepard – or should I say, better... What I'm trying to say is, it's time I switched sides. Let's remember, my name is Julian _Rapist_ Lambrick - and I'm pretty sure there's room for _my_ hobby in this night of fun...”

Molly didn't look at him as he spoke those words. She knew this was part of a plan, so did Oswald, who looked to the fireplace and saw the poker was gone... Julian had swiped it when Velaska had been tormenting his wife... But Jeremiah had a gun. Julian would have to move pretty damned fast to avoid taking a bullet...

Jeremiah started to smile. Looking into Julian's eyes, he saw what seemed to be a real glimmer of evil there.

“As long as you rape Molly,” he said, and as he chuckled, Julian laughed darkly too.

“You don't want to get off on me raping Oswald?”

“Just the woman,” Jeremiah confirmed, chuckling again.

“We can torture Oswald,” Julian added, “But later... I want some pussy first.”

“Then come over here and join me, Mr Lambrick!”

“With pleasure!” Julian replied, “But I need my chair, how the fuck can I do anything stuck on this floor?”

Jeremiah pulled out a chair from the table, then walked over to Julian and held out a gloved hand.

“This is going to be quite a night,” he said in amusement.

“It certainly will,” Julian agreed, taking his hand as he kept the poker behind his back, leaning on it concealed as he struggled to his feet. Now he was up, he looked to the chair by the table.

_He wasn't going to be taking that seat._

Julian thought about it quickly:

_He could walk three minutes on the treadmill. He could walk for two without holding on. He calculated the distance from here to the door, then to the elevator. He could make it..._

“We're going to have _so _much fun!” Jeremiah exclaimed.

“_No, we're not!”_

Julian smashed him in the face with the poker. As the gun clattered to the floor and Jeremiah staggered back clutching at his face, Julian hit him again.

“_Get the gun!”_ he yelled.

Oswald began to crawl for the weapon. Molly had raised up to her knees as Velaska had let go, she saw the gun and dived down the floor, grabbing it as she put a hand on Oswald's shoulder.

“Get up, love... you have to...”

“I can't!” Oswald said, giving a hiss of pain.

She got up first, then reached for her husband. There was a crash behind them and Molly turned her head to see Jeremiah on his back surrounded by the glass from a shattered drinks cabinet, felled by another blow from the poker.

“_Get up!”_ she said again, reaching for Oswald as he tried to stand then gave a yell of pain.

Julian still had the poker in his hand.

“I'm going to the basement, I'll stay with the kids till the cops get here.”

Then he grabbed at the door frame, staggered through, made it across the hallway and into the elevator, and hit the button for the basement level.

Up in the attic, Josh was on his knees beside the blood soaked mattress where Ed Nygma lay wounded and fighting to stay awake.

“I'm going to try and slow the bleeding,” he told him, “And then get help.”

Ed reached for his arm, grabbing it weakly.

“Don't let my wife know about Beth... me and Beth...”

Talking about the circumstances, the reasons why Beth and Ed had been abducted together naked, was the least of his concerns. He had managed to find the key to the cuffs, freed Beth and then draped his jacket around her shoulders, telling her to sit tight in the corner of the attic. She had been too drugged to stand, but at least she would be okay for now. Then he had searched through the contents of the hidden room, opened up a suitcase on the floor and pulled out a clean white shirt. He had folded it and pressed it to Ed's wounds. The blood had started to come through quickly, so he had grabbed another shirt and folded that too, and now as he placed it on top and pressed down, Ed gave a weak cry of pain.

“Don't move,” Josh told him, securing the makeshift dressing with a roll of tape he had grabbed from the top of the recording equipment, “You're losing a lot of blood. If you move again, it could kill you. Stay right here, I'll fetch help.”

“And_ don't_ let my wife know about Beth...” Ed whispered as Josh taped the dressing to his body, _“Please!”_

“Ed,” said Josh as he finished the first aid, “My only concern is getting you and Beth out of here alive – that and ensuring Mr Penguin and his family make it through this. Now lie still, I'll fetch help.”

Then he climbed down into the crawl space as a mouse ran up the wall and squeaked. He coughed, pushing aside remnants of insulation, and dropped through the hole to the old stairway, as rotting boards creaked and groaned. Then he carefully made his way down to the hidden door, where he drew his gun, looked through the gap, saw no sign of Valeska and then stepped out into the upper floor of the mansion.

His training was running through his mind. All in the voice of Jax Sterling, who had taught him everything:

“_In an emergency situation, firstly ensure casualties are treated as best you can manage. Be quick and careful, try and slow bleeding and be a gentleman at all times to any ladies caught up in the event. If Mr Penguin is also caught up in it – or any members of his family, they are your priority once the gravely injured have been tended to. Call for assistance at the first opportunity... and if the enemy or enemies are close by, if able, try and take them out to eliminate the threat – but not at cost to your own life if you are alone, in a situation, because your first job is to protect Oswald Cobblepot.”_

“I'm trying to do that, Jax, I'm trying,” he muttered as he cautiously made his way down the upper hall, gun ready as he paused by each room, finding it empty. The lift was absent. He heard a crash as a struggle went on downstairs. They were in the lower part of the house! Josh ran for the stairs.

Molly had taken aim as Jeremiah sprung to his feet as glass shards flew about, firing off a shot that hit the wall and splintered old panelling as Velaska ducked and then rolled, scrambling to his feet beyond the doorway. Oswald was up now, grabbing a cane from where he had left it propped against his seat at the table. Pain was throbbing in his knee, but now he was up, fire burned in his eyes as he looked to Molly.

“It's him or us,” he said in a low voice, “We have to find him before he closes in again!”

Then they headed for the door, Molly going first, clutching the weapon tightly as she hungered for the blood of the bastard who had done this to her family.

Penguin had been in the kitchen when the trouble had started. He had stopped cooking, turned off the heat and looked to the wall beyond the kitchen, where there hung an old antique sword. He had waddled quickly and quietly to the door way and listened, his eyes growing wide as he heard voices drifting from the dining room... He had heard Velaska say he was going to kill everyone. He knew it was him, he remembered_ that_ voice from when he was a boy, growing up in the lab... that clown faced man who had turned away from him as he gave an instruction:

“_This experiment is a disaster. Someone needs to kill the little freak.”_

Penguin reached up, his flippers carefully closing about the sword as he lifted it from the wall as a long standing need for revenge shone dark in his eyes.

“_Who's the freak now, Velaska?” _he murmured,_ “I'll show you what happens to people who threaten my family...”_

In the heart of the city, Fish Mooney was talking in her lavish front room, asking Luna to explain all about Mr Giggles. Luna sat there on the sofa, looking at Fish Mommy with worry in her young eyes.

“He looks nasty,” she said, “But he was nice to me. He wanted me to be his friend.”

Fish kept all trace of anger out of her voice as she spoke again to her daughter.

“Did he try and touch you?”

Luna shook her head.

“No, he wanted me to help him find out about my family, he said he was an old friend who wanted to surprise them.”

Fish felt a shiver pass over her flesh.

“And what else did he say, Luna?”

“That he wanted to play hide the cell phones. I had to hide everyone's phone so he could have fun tonight. He came in my room and told me about it late at night.”

Murder was running through her mind. _This creep had been in her daughter's bedroom, lurking like some kind of pervert?_ Fish drew in a sharp breath, then forced a smile, keen not to alarm her young daughter.

“Thank you, Luna,” she replied, “That is very useful... Stay there.”

She got up and left the room, grabbed her phone from her pocket and called Oswald. There was no reply. She tried Molly's number, and got no reply on that either. Calling the house phone, she found the line was dead... had the line been cut?

Her next call was _not_ to the GCPD. Instead, she called her own security people, and told them to load up their weapons and meet her at the Van Dahl mansion, because the Cobblepot family were in trouble...

As the elevator descended, Julian's legs were shaking from the effort of standing for so long, and the fast, unsteady walk from the dining room to the elevator. This was nothing like using the treadmill, and he felt like he was about to collapse at any minute. He needed to rest before he could get up again. Then the elevator reached the basement level., He clung to the metal grill as he pushed it aside, using it to hold on to keep balance as he looked about the dimly lit room.

“Leprechauns? It's okay, it's only me, it's Julian!”

“Julian!” Cain cried, and suddenly he ran out of the darkness as little Felix toddled after him, arms outstretched. Julian leaned down to hug Cain, catching the younger boy as he put an arm around him too.

“Listen, your Mom and Dad are still getting rid of the bad man,” he said, “So I'm going to take you somewhere really safe. We can't get out, because we don't know if it's safe to go up yet – but I know a really good place to hide. You'll love it Cain, it's full of treasure!”

Cain stared at him.

“Treasure?”

Julian dropped to his knees and started to crawl over to a table, then he pushed it aside and turned back the rug to reveal a hidden hatch.

“We will be very safe in here,” he promised him, “And you can check out all your Dad's treasure, but it's a secret, okay? No one knows about this room!”

Then he keyed in the word EDWARD and the hatch opened up. Looking down into the room as it lit up, the height of the ladder looked like a truly painful drop to Julian as he instantly knew the ladder would be difficult - but at least the kids could get down there okay.

“I want you to go first,” he told Cain, “And Felix can go next, right in front of you, so you can help him on the ladder.”

Cain looked worried.

“What about you?” he asked.

“I'll manage,” Julian replied, hoping that statement was correct. He had enough upper body strength to cope with the ladder, but his legs would be a big problem...

He watched as Cain began to climb down, then he lowered Felix, and Cain stood there on the ladder, telling Felix_ clever boy_ as he copied him, reaching for the rungs as Cain half carried him to the bottom. Then Julian took a deep breath and lowered himself down into the hatch, feeling his shoes hit the rung as he held on, then hit a button to close the hatch.

“Okay, I'm coming down now.”

He lowered one leg, slipped and heard Cain give a gasp from below.

“No no, wait!” he called up, then he hurried back up the ladder, closing his hands about Julian's ankle.

“Slowly, one at a time, I'll help you,” he told him.

And he did. Cain took one step at a time, helping Julian to balance as he made his way down. Finally they reached the floor, Cain jumped down and helped him to sit at the bottom of the ladder as Julian breathed a relieved sigh. Then Cain looked around at the sparkling gold and silver and jewels that caught the light.

“Wow!” he exclaimed.

“We just have to wait here until it's safe to go back,” Julian told him.

“Okay...” Cain was distracted from the horror of the evening by the sight of the treasure.

“This is all Dad's treasure?” he called out as he went around a corner out of sight.

“It is,” Julian confirmed, “And you must never tell anyone about it.”

“I'm not saying anything about this... oh wow...I found something else!”

There was a pause, then Cain came back around the corner carrying a shot gun.

“Careful with that!”

Cain handed the gun to Julian.

“There's lots of guns down here too!” he said excitedly.

Julian laid the shot gun beside him and looked up at the hatch, silently concluding although it wasn't loaded, Velaska wouldn't know that if he reached the cellar and tried to get in... But he wouldn't be able to crack the code. They were safe – for now...

“Want Dada!” complained Felix, “Want Mama!”

Julian sat him on his lap.

“I know you want Mommy and Daddy. They'll be here soon then we can all go back upstairs, don't worry little Leprechaun, Julian's here. I'll look after you both.”

Cain sat next to him.

“Thanks for looking after us,” he said.

“I want to look after you,” Julian told him, “It's going to be okay. I won't let that crazy freak hurt you or your brother.”

Then he put his arm around him as they sat there on the floor of the sealed room, waiting for the ordeal to end as Julian desperately hoped Molly and Oswald would make it out of this alive...

Oswald's leg was throbbing as he leaned against the wall, his face growing pale as he broke into a cold sweat.

“We need to find that bastard before he finds the kids!”

Molly was beside him as they paused in shadow close to the stairway, they could see the front door from where they stood, but they could not be leaving without the children.

“They're safe,” Molly whispered, “They're in the basement – or below it. Julian will look after them like his own...”

They froze, hearing footsteps coming downward. Molly stepped out, holding her gun in a two handed grip as Josh aimed his too, and for a second they both froze, then lowered weapons as Josh hurried to the bottom to join them.

“Where's Velaska?” he whispered.

“We don't know,” Oswald said in a low voice, “We have to find him....Is Ed up there?”

As he asked that question, Oswald's worried gaze briefly reached the upper floor, then he looked back at Josh.

“Beth Crane is unharmed, Ed's got two stab wounds, I administered first aid. Sir, are you wounded?”

“I'll worry about that later,” Oswald said dismissively, then he looked about the silent hallway.

“He's here somewhere... waiting to take us out one by one!”

Josh looked about the hallway.

“I'll go first,” he said, then stepped in front of Molly, weapon ready, as he thought of the risk he was taking – this was it, his job didn't get any more dangerous than it did right now. If Velaska saw him first, he was a dead man... Josh thought about Selina and the baby. Now he was finally experiencing the reason why Oswald's men were paid so well – danger money, and it didn't get any more risky than this...

Penguin was hiding in the shadows behind the kitchen door, watching as Velaska entered the room with slow, deliberate steps.

“Where's that fat freak?” he said aloud, walking over to the kitchen door, looking out of the glass pane in the upper half towards the garden, and the sound of his voice, for a moment, struck terror in Penguin's heart, sending him back in time in his mind, all the way to the days when he had been a little boy growing up in a lab, a place where people hurt him every day and the only kind friend he had was Ivy Pepper, the lady who saved him... His flippers shook as he gripped the sword tighter and a snarl came to his face. All nerves had stopped jangling now, he was pumped up with rage and the need for revenge: _Jeremiah Velaska had ordered his creation. He was ultimately responsible for condemning him to a lifetime of being different, with his round body and his flipper hands... _

His back was still turned. Penguin wanted to run him through with the sword. But just as he made a move to step out of hiding, Velaska opened the back door and went outside, then hurried into the cover of the trees that lined the side of the house where he lurked. Penguin ducked low, waddling fast out the door and heading the other way towards the garage. He would wait and watch from there and choose his moment...

They had searched every room in the house.

By the time they reached the kitchen and saw the door wide open, Molly felt a flicker of fear.

“Oh no... where's Penguin?”

Oswald shook his head.

“I don't know,” he said quietly.

A glance about the floor showed no sign of blood or a struggle. Josh looked to the garage. The light was on, but through the window he saw no sign of movement. Then he looked back to the open door.

“I think Velaska's out there... this could be a trap.”

“We've got to find him,” Molly said, “Either he dies today or we sit here waiting for him to find us! Of course it's a bloody trap, he wants to kill us, he doesn't want to waste time!”

She stepped past Josh as she set her sights on the apparently quiet garden outside.

“I'm going first -”

“But Mrs Cobblepot -”

“No Josh, this is my fight,” Molly reminded him, “And this time, I'm finishing it forever!”

Oswald was struggling to walk as he hobbled after her, pausing to reach for a block on the counter and draw out a large chopping knife.

“I've got you covered, sir,” Josh assured him.

“Make sure you're watching out for yourself too,” Oswald reminded him, “Do your duty but remember your family need you too, Josh.”

“My job is to protect you, sir.”

“It's also your job to be there for your wife and child,” Oswald reminded him, I'll follow Molly. If you see Velaska, shoot him. If he shoots at you, dodge the bullets – I don't want you to lose your life, young man, this far from over.”

Then as Molly went outside, Oswald limped after her, knife in hand as he leaned heavily on his cane. Taking the step down to the garden was agony on his knee, but now they were both outside and Josh had joined them. The breeze stirred the trees, and there was no sign of Velaska.

“Where is he?” Molly whispered, clutching her gun tightly as she looked to the darkened tree line.

From the shadow of the garage, Penguin saw a flash of purple hiding deep in the woodland. That flash of purple fabric showed again as Jeremiah made his way closer to the garden. Penguin knew this was his moment to strike and he hurried out of the garage, went around the front of the house and vanished into the darkness of the trees, waddling fast as he could as he carried that sword in both flippers, taking the long way around to meet with a _very_ old enemy...

Molly had seen movement in the trees.

“Josh, take my husband back inside. I'll handle this.”

Oswald looked sharply at Josh.

“I will not go back inside!”

“Then I'll just stand here ready to fire, sir,” Josh replied, keeping his weapon trained on the shady place where the trees were dense.

“_Where the fuck is he? Where did he go?”_ Molly swung her gun around as she turned left and right, seeing nothing now but the sway of branches as the breeze stirred the trees once more.

“_Where the fuck are you?”_ she yelled in anger.

She heard a cackle, dry and cracked as Velaska raised his weapon.

“_NO!”_ Oswald yelled as the gun went off.

The bullet punched into her side as she was flung on to her back by the force of the impact. Molly lay there, gasping as her heart hammered and a pain burned in her side...

“Josh... what happened?” she said breathlessly, feeling something warm run over her hand as she pressed it to her side, “Have I... “

She didn't need to ask again.

Oswald's face twisted to a mask of rage as he snatched the gun from Josh and limped quickly towards the woodland.

“_YOU SHOT MY WIFE! YOU SHOT MY WIFE, VALESKA! I'LL HAVE YOUR FUCKING HEAD FOR THIS!” _ Oswald yelled.

Josh fell to his knees beside Molly, saw the bullet had clipped her side and just about caught enough skin for an entry and exit wound. Hopefully no organs had been hit, it looked like a flesh wound – but Molly was pregnant.

“Lie back, Mrs Cobblepot,” he said, but she pushed aside his offer of help, clutching at her side as she picked up Oswald's dropped knife and set her sights of the treeline, where her husband was headed in, yelling in murderous rage as he raised his gun.

“Wait -”

“No, my Oswald needs me, Velaska will kill him, I've been here before!”

Molly hurried towards the trees as Josh ran along side her. Molly was bleeding from the shot but anger and fear for her husband was holding her up as she stepped into the shade, knife ready.

It all happened so fast.

They went in a little further, saw Oswald lunge at Velaska, the two men crashed to the ground as Oswald punched him in the face again and again as blood flowed with the third connection of Oswald's fist to his cheek.

“_You shot my wife!”_ Oswald raged, his eyes cold with murder as he hit him again, oblivious to the pain in his fist as he felt bone snap beneath his blows. Then a gun was up, pressed below his chin as Velaska snarled.

“Goodbye, Oswald!”

And then the gun was gone as Molly dealt a kick to Jeremiah's head as Oswald rolled off him, staggered to his feet and stamped on his wrist. Jeremiah screamed as he let go of the weapon. Molly lunged forward to grab it, but Velaska was fast, sensing he was losing the game as he snatched it up and sprang to his feet, spitting blood to the forest floor then pointing the gun at Molly.

“_If you move,”_ he said to Oswald, _“I'll kill her and then I'll kill Josh and then, after I've broken your leg, I'll make you watch Julian die. DROP THE WEAPON!”_

Oswald set down the knife as Molly clutched at her gun, her sights set on Velaska.

“I _will_ finish you,” she vowed as she kept the gun trained on him as she knelt there bleeding on the floor of the forest,_ “I fucking swear down, I'll have you before you have me! Even if you shoot me, my finger is on that trigger and you die with me, fucker!”_

“Drop the weapon!” ranted Jeremiah, aiming a swift and unexpected kick at Oswald's knee. As he gave a scream of pain, Molly's head was turned towards him and then, the gun was whipped form her hands. Now he had two guns, one pointed at her and the other at Josh, as he stood behind Oswald, who was on the floor, clutching at his knee as pain throbbed deeply.

“You're all dead,” Jeremiah said as satisfaction crept through his voice, “I'm going to kill you three, then go into the house, find Julian and kill him, then I'm shooting the kids. I'm sparing no one...There will be no room in the new underworld for a Cobblepot. It's mine now, Oswald. Your empire belongs to me.”

And there was a crash at the front door. It echoed out into the garden as Molly looked at Oswald and they both thought the same thing:

_It sounded like the door being forced open..._

Jeremiah was oblivious to it as he chuckled darkly.

“I'll leave the house all locked up tight, and tomorrow, Luna will find your bodies. She's next on my list -”

He went rigid, threw his head back gasping, then coughing blood as he looked down to see an antique sword had been thrust into his guts, in through his back and all the way out the other side... The sword thrust up, splitting his wound wider as he coughed again and his mouth filled with blood. The guns fell from his hands as the sword was drawn back, and as he fell to his knees, someone emerged form the forest.

It was Penguin, and he was carrying a sword in his flipper and had a look of rage burning in his eyes as he glared down at Jeremiah, who started to bleed out heavily as he fell to his knees, then on to his back.

“It's about time for our reunion,” Penguin said darkly, “Just me, and the man who created me, the creature that I am. _Hi there, Daddy!_” he said bitterly, and Molly's mouth flew open in shock as Oswald looked on in great surprise as Penguin thrust a flipper into Jeremiah's wound, grabbed at his guts and tugged, partly spilling them out.

Molly coughed and looked away.

Josh turned his back, fighting the urge to gag.

Oswald looked on in wonder.

“My dear son!” he said, “You're such a natural at this! I'm so proud!”

“Thanks Dad,” Penguin said warmly, then his face contorted into a snarl as he glared down at Jeremiah.

“_You filthy piece of scum!”_ he raged,_ “You did this to MY family? I LOVE my family!”_

Jeremiah coughed as more blood ran from his mouth.

“_Vile sack of shit!” _Penguin spat, _“I want to stand here and watch you take your last breath. There will be no forgiveness or mercy for you!”_

Then he heard Oswald give a cry of pain, and he turned away from Valeska, saw Molly was struggling and hurried over as she and Josh helped Oswald to his feet.

“It's over now,” Penguin assured them, “Look at him, he's bleeding out. He's dying. He will never threaten you again.”

“Josh,” said Oswald weakly as he leaned against Molly and Penguin, “Get this over with. Finish the bastard.”

“Yes sir,” Josh replied, and he retrieved his weapon and walked over to Jeremiah, looking into his eyes coldly as his finger slid to the trigger.

“_No, wait. He's bleeding out and there's something I need to do before he dies.”_

They turned to see someone had joined them. Jeremiah looked up weakly and saw a woman as at first, in his confused state, he wondered if she would help him, then as she stepped closer he saw her small build, the way her shapely legs met with a gold dress, watched as she walked over to him in sparkling heels....

“Fish, “ he gasped, “Please help me...it's not as it seems...”

“Where's Luna?” Oswald called back.

Fish turned her head and smiled.

“She's out the front – and very safe,” she assured him, then as Josh and Molly and Penguin helped Oswald back towards the house, Fish stood over Jeremiah as she kicked at his leg, then kicked at the other one, parting them wide.

“_You crept around this house and preyed on my daughter, you even went into her room... like some kind of fucking predator!”_ she said as fury blazed in her eyes and she opened up a straight razor, _“You lurked in MY baby girl's room while she was sleeping! I'm just doing what any mother would do in my situation... I'm slicing off your balls before you bleed to death, you sick piece of shit!” _

And she sliced through the fabric of his clothing, reached inside and there was a flash of steel by moonlight as Jeremiah screamed, and his scream filled the forest.

Molly had gone inside to find the house filled with armed men and women, all working under Fish Mooney. A guy with a machine gun told Oswald his young daughter was outside, and Oswald told them two people were in the attic and one was badly wounded, then thanked him and leaned heavily on Penguin and Josh as they hurried through the busted down door and went outside to find Luna, as Molly clutched at her side and headed for the cellar to find Julian and the boys. They were safe, they were all safe thanks to Fish and her people...

As Oswald hurried outside supported by Josh and Penguin, he would never forget what he saw as he reached the driveway. Never again would he think about the bad old days, and how Fish had pushed away River, he would never think of Fish as a cold, uncaring mother again:

There were ten large, muscular armed women standing in a circle on the driveway. As he approached, they stepped aside breaking a huge, powerful ring of steel. In the middle of that heavy circle of protection was tiny Luna, wrapped up against the chill in the coat Fish Mommy had bought her.

“Daddy!” she said as her face lit up with joy, and he didn't care about the pain in his knee as he let go of Josh and Penguin, falling to his knees as she ran to him and he hugged his daughter tightly.

“I'm okay,” he said as he blinked away tears, “Everyone is okay now, Luna. We're all safe now, my dear.”

As he hugged Luna, he looked to the house. Fish Mooney folded the razor and put it in her pocket, then she walked over to join him, all trace of anger gone from her eyes.

“Want my people to clean up the mess in the woods?” she asked.

Oswald looked up at her with gratitude shining in his gaze.

“No, I'll call Victor... I need River over here anyway...”

“Call Doc Baby Fish,” she instructed to the nearest armed guard, “And tell her we need her husband here, too.”

“Yes, Ma'am,” replied the guard.

By now Oswald's guards who had been out at the far perimeter had been alerted, and had started to gather in the driveway.

“Call Jax,” Oswald said as Josh and Penguin helped him up, “Tell him there's been an incident.. and not a word to the GCPD. I can't let it get out that a certain individual attacked my family tonight. This place has to be seen as nothing less than secure. We can't have anyone else trying to break in.”

Penguin took Luna's hand.

“Let me take you upstairs and read you a story,” he said with a smile, “Your brothers will be off to bed soon, too.”

“What happened tonight?” she asked, looking back at Fish Mommy.

Fish smiled.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Fish promised her, “Go to bed, Luna. It's late.”

Luna smiled back at Fish, oblivious to the horror that had happened that night.

Oswald paused to hug Fish, then he gave a hiss of pain as Josh supported him and helped him back inside. The worst was over, but Ed Nygma had been brought down from the attic now and he was laid out on the floor in the front room. Two of Oswald's men were trying to tend to his injuries and Ed was motionless, pale and bleeding heavily.

Josh helped Oswald into a chair and poured him a brandy. Oswald held the glass in his hand, still looking on, feeling helpless as Ed lay there. Someone said an ambulance had been called. Ed didn't look like he would last long enough for help to arrive – Oswald knew what a dying man looked like, he had seen enough of them over the years in this violent city... Suddenly his face was streaked with tears as he gave a sob. Josh placed a hand on his shoulder as Oswald reached up and briefly held on.

“It's okay, sir,” Josh said quietly, “Help is on the way, try and stay calm.”

“Yes, yes. Of course I must,” Oswald agreed, blinking as another tear ran down his face, _“Please, Ed,”_ he whispered as he watched his men tending to Ed's wounds, _“Please don't die...”_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

On returning from the basement, after the kids had got out and she had helped Julian back up the ladder, then into the lift and upstairs to bed, Molly went back downstairs and had run into Beth Crane, who was sitting wrapped in a blanket waiting for a ride home from one of Oswald's men.

“I hear you had quite an ordeal,” Molly said to her frostily.

She nodded.

“I just hope Ed's okay,” she replied, now the sedative had worn off, she was feeling relieved to be safe but also awkward sitting here wearing nothing but a blanket, in Molly's home, knowing Molly was looking at her recalling the affair she had with her husband.

“You should go home and rest,” Molly said, then her voice hardened as she added, “And also, maybe keep away from married men, Beth. I mean that – Ed's got kids. _Leave him alone_.”

Then she walked off to find Oswald.

River and Victor turned up shortly after receiving the call. Victor had gone off to the woods to remove the corpse, while River checked her Dad over, then Molly, and told them both to sit and rest while she checked on Julian and the kids. Molly had been told she would need surgery to close the wound – and worryingly, so did Oswald, after that fall down the stairs and the kicks to his crippled knee.

“Your leg is very messed up, Dad,” was all River said, then she had gone off to see Julian, who after having a minor stab wound to his arm treated, had assured her he had a few cuts and bruises but was fine, and would be back on the treadmill tomorrow, because those pathways that wouldn't stay fixed needed to keep on learning, or he would be back in that chair again.

River checked on Luna, who assured her she was okay, then asked what had happened that night. River had told her there was a break in, but the burglar was gone now. Then she had checked on Cain and Felix. The boys were sleeping soundly despite their ordeal. Penguin had waddled past her on the way to his room, with a smile on his face and his head held high, as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Never better,” Penguin replied, “Tonight I protected my family and settled an old score. The man who ensured I was born to look like this, is no more. I feel free now.”

“I'm glad to hear it,” River replied, knowing she could only imagine the lifetime of anger and hurt Penguin had felt, knowing Jeremiah had ordered his creation, and been responsible for causing his birth defects. A line was well and truly drawn under the past now – with Jeremiah dead, the whole family could move on...

By now, the phones had been returned. Molly had picked hers up right away, making a call to the only person who she hoped could help. Then shortly after, someone said there was a metal horse in the driveway, and she smiled, knowing her brother had got here as fast as he could.

“Connor,” she said as he walked in the door, “I need your help -”

“You should sit down, sis,” he said to her, seeing her hand pressed to her side, “Where's the stab victim?”

“Front room.”

Connor walked off quickly as Molly felt a throb in her side and blood leaked through her fingers as she pressed against it. As she entered the front room she paused in the doorway, watching as the armed guards present stepped aside, recognising his dark clothing and the way his hood hid his face that one of the city healers, one of the Resurrected, had arrived.

“Please leave us,” Oswald said, and his men left the room.

Molly sat down on the sofa beside Oswald, reaching for his hand as they both looked on as Connor knelt beside Ed.

“I can heal him,” he told them, “But he's very far gone. My healing abilities are lab generated, it's _not_ a flexible power like Julian used to have. I can heal superficial wounds easily, but serious ones cause a huge surge of power, a very violent surge. The shock could kill him.”

“We have no time,” Oswald reminded him, “and the ambulance isn't here yet. He won't have time to get to the hospital, Connor.”

“Okay,” Connor said, “I'll do it...”

He folded back the blanket that had been placed on Ed, covering him up to this shoulders, and placed his hand over the two blood stained stab wounds. Ed's body shook and he gave a gasp, then the pallor left his face as he started to breathe slow and steady. As he took his hand away, Molly saw the wounds were now faded scars.

“He still needs to go to the hospital.,” Connor told them, “It's going to take a few hours for full recovery and in that time, he's got to replace at least half of the blood he lost or he might still be too weak to make it.”

Oswald nodded, looking down at Ed, who was definitely no longer bleeding to death.

“Thank you, Connor,” he said.

“Fix me,” Molly told him, pulling aside her shirt, exposing the bloody wound.

Connor sat down beside her, hesitating.

“You're pregnant.”

“And?”

“And Molly, once again, a powerful surge through your body that jolts every living tissue could be dangerous. I could heal your wound but cause a miscarriage.”

“I can't be laid up for days, I have the kids to look after. And Oswald's hurt too.”

“I don't want you to lose the baby, sis.”

Molly blinked.

“_I won't lose this baby.”_

Then she paused, wondering how she was so sure about that. But she just knew, she wouldn't lose this baby, not from the fight with Velaska or from the the jolt to her body as Connor healed the gunshot wound.

“You sound very sure.”

“I am sure,” she told her brother, “I don't know why, I just know.”

“I hope you're right,” he said, taking a deep breath.

His hand closed over her wounded side. Molly felt a surge of heat that was white hot and she gave a gasp, then Connor drew his hand away.

“Another scar for the collection, sis,” he told her.

She looked down at the closed and fading scar.

“Thank you,” she told him, and leaned forward, now without pain, and hugged her brother tightly.

Oswald looked at him.

“Apparently I damaged my knee. River said it needs surgery. Can you heal it for me?”

Connor placed his hand just above Oswald's knee, sensing the extent of the damage, then he drew it back.

“I'm sorry but I can't,” he told him, “I can heal minor wounds and major injuries – but I _can't_ touch long-standing issues like you have with your leg. It's damage on top of damage, Oswald. I could heal the tissue but shatter the bone. I can't risk it. Your leg is in a bad way – it has been for a few years... you can't take the kind of power surge it would need to even start to fix it for you, it's not just your knee, it's the ankle too. I would love to help you, I really would – but I'd cause more harm than good in your case. Bones have to be strong, pre accident, for me to put them back together whole. Your leg can't take that kind of pressure.”

Oswald gave a heavy sigh.

“You've healed Molly and saved Ed. That's more than enough reason to thank you. I understand.”

Just then Josh knocked on the door and as he entered the room he told Oswald the ambulance was here. Connor went outside to talk to the medics, explaining Ed had been healed, but would need rest and to be given blood to ensure a full recovery.

Just after the ambulance took Ed to the hospital, Jax arrived. As soon as he walked in, Oswald breathed a relieved sigh.

“I have informed the GCPD that a prowler was shot and killed tonight and it is purely an underworld matter,” he said, “The tap has been lifted from your phones and the cops have closed the book on the case. I set in place under the pact, a complete reporting ban too. All is in hand, Mr Penguin. Fish Mooney's people have just departed, after heartfelt thanks from me on your behalf, and I took the liberty of ordering some flowers for Fish Mooney to thank her, from you and the family, for her assistance tonight. Mr Zsasz just left with_ something_ wrapped in a weighted bag and the scene has been cleaned up leaving no trace behind. River tells me you need medical attention for your leg injury. Would you like me to drive you to the clinic?”

“No thank you Jax, not tonight, you've done more than enough,” Oswald said with a smile.

“I shall stay here to help unless you would like me to accompany you to the clinic,” Jax added.

Just then Josh entered the room, setting a tray of tea on the table.

“Thank you, Josh,” Oswald said, “Your help tonight has been much appreciated. And I think it's time you went home and got some rest. Take tomorrow off – no, take the rest of the week, you've earned it, young man.”

“Thank you, sir,” Josh said, and as he left the room, Jax followed him out and closed the door behind them.

“Well done, Josh,” he told him warmly, placing a metallic hand on his shoulder as he smiled, “You truly saved the day! You treated Ed, reassured Miss Crane and then provided excellent back up when Mr Penguin was confronted by Jeremiah. I'm proud of you. I think perhaps some day soon, your job title will also become temporary General, in times of my absence. Do you think you could handle that?”

After the night he had been through, Josh couldn't think about that yet. Jax always made everything look so easy to cope with as General, and he wasn't sure if he could take on that kind of workload...

“I'm happy assisting you, Jax.”

“And in times of my absence – vacation, or sick leave – I think you should stand in for me,” Jax told him.

“Maybe,” Josh replied, “But right now, I just want to go home. It's been a hell of a night.”

“And so you should,” Jax agreed, “Go home, Josh. Take plenty of rest and I shall see you in a week's time.”

Josh smiled.

“I handled this because of you,” he replied, “You trained me for this, I remembered every word you said.”

“And it pleases me greatly to know that.” Jax replied, smiling brightly.

A short while later, Victor returned to the mansion. He found Molly outside. She was sitting there on the steps that led to the entrance, where the broken door had been boarded up pending repair in the morning, and she cradled a mug of tea in her hand.

“You all had a bad time tonight,” he said, “But it's done with now. They'll never find the body.”

Molly looked up at him.

“Thanks, Victor.”

Victor smiled as he suddenly thought of something.

“When I say I got rid of the body, I mean, _most_ of it. _What the hell did Fish do with his balls?_”

Molly sipped her tea as somewhere beyond the house, deep in the woods, she heard the cry of foxes.

“I have no idea, Victor – but there's foxes out there tonight and they seem to be scrapping over something!”

He chuckled.

“I'm going inside to speak to River.”

“Okay,” she said, and then she finished her tea and just sat there alone, feeling relieved a long standing shadow was finally lifted from the family – but memories didn't fade as easily...

“_Is everything alright, Mrs Cobblepot?” _  
She turned her head to see Jax standing on the doorstep behind her.

“Yes.. no... I don't know,” she said, and Jax held out his hand, which she accepted as he helped her up, then she stood there with him on the porch, as worry started to cloud her eyes.

“I just keep thinking... ten years ago, my Oswald was fighting for his life because of Jeremiah – now he's going to be back in the hospital, more surgery - because of Jeremiah... “

“And Velaska is dead now,” Jax reminded her, “_Now_ is not_ then_, Molly. Mr Penguin has a serious injury that needs surgery. Any injury to his leg would be serious considering how much trouble his damaged leg has given him over the years. But this isn't like before.”

Molly blinked back tears.

“It's just...” she shook her head, “I don't know, Jax. I just don't want him to be in pain!”

“Your husband has coped with a painful leg for half his life,” Jax reminded her, “He will handle this too, he's a very capable man.”

Molly nodded.

“Yes, he is,” she replied, then she turned away and went back into the house. Jax paused for thought, then searched his phone for the right number, and walked off into the middle of the driveway to make a call that he was sure would be appreciated:

Molly was troubled by tonight's events, and Oswald's injury had brought back painful memories of ten years before. He didn't doubt she would appreciate some outside support at this time. While Oswald was in the clinic, Penguin and Julian could help with the kids, and Jax had every intention of being here every day too, to assist Molly, should her hallucinations return to trouble her. But he knew who could _really_ help her at this time... He made a call to Ireland, and carefully explained the situation to Kane MacQueen, who agreed Molly could use his company for a while, and then said he would be on the next available flight to Gotham City.

Selina was sleeping when Josh arrived home.

He went into the bathroom and closed the door quietly, then spent time under the shower, scrubbing away every last trace of blood from his hands. Ed's blood had soaked his hands and his clothing as he had tried to stop the bleeding, and he didn't want Selina seeing a trace of that, he didn't want her to feel any of the shock he had seen on Molly's face that night. She and Molly were both pregnant – but nothing terrifying had touched their lives the way it had touched Oswald and Molly's. Josh silently hoped that it would always be that way, he wanted to protect his wife and child. Working for Mr Penguin had certainly opened his eyes to the true nature of evil in this city – all the monsters were human, people like Jeremiah...

When he got into bed, Selina stirred, smiled in her sleep as if she sensed his return, then she shifted closer, putting an arm around him as she slept on. Tomorrow he would tell her there was an incident at the mansion. He wouldn't go into detail, it was a night he wanted to forget, and it would be easier to push it aside if he didn't speak of it too deeply.

_The nightmare was over now._

He kissed her softly as she slept, turning on his side as he ran a hand over her hair and looked at her sleeping face.

_Tonight, he could have been killed._

_He nearly didn't make it home to her and their unborn child._

_But here he was, and now, he was going to keep them safe, forever._

“I'll always protect you both,” he whispered as Selina slept on, unaware of the danger he had faced on a night he felt sure would never be pushed completely from his memory.

When morning came, Penguin was up bright and early, cooking breakfast for Julian and the kids. Now and then he checked his watch, and when Luna asked him why he kept doing that, he smiled and said, “The time isn't going fast enough! I have a date, I'm having dinner with a lady tonight and I am in love with her!”

Cain laughed as he sat there having breakfast.

“I still think she has flipper hands!”

Penguin waddled over to the table with his own big plate, piled high with bacon eggs and beans, as Julian looked on, shaking his head.

“I don't know how you can eat so much first thing in the morning!”

“I'm always hungry!” Penguin told him.

Julian turned back to Felix, helping him eat breakfast, and then Luna spoke up.

“Why did Mommy and Daddy go out early this morning with Jax?”

Julian exchanged a glance with Penguin, who left the explantation to the one who was like a second father to the kids.

“Daddy fell on the stairs yesterday,” Julian said, “And he has to go and see River to get his leg fixed.”

“Is he okay?” Luna asked as worry reflected in her eyes.

“He will be,” Julian assured her.

Cain slammed his juice down and pushed his chair back.

“_Why did no one tell me? I'm not a baby! My Dad is hurt, this is serious, isn't_ _it!”_

“He might need surgery but he will be fine,” Julian reminded him, “You need to calm down, Cain -”

“_No I won't calm down, I want my Dad! I want to see him!”_

“Cain, get back here!” Julian said sharply, but Cain had dashed out the door as he started to cry, and then ran up the stairs.

Julian backed his chair away from the table.

“Watch the kids Penguin, I'll talk to Cain.”

Penguin looked up from his breakfast plate with bacon hanging out of his mouth.

“I'm eating!”

“You can eat in a minute!” Julian told him, then he turned his chair around and left the room, heading for the elevator.

Julian found Cain in his bedroom, standing by the window, he gave a sob as he rolled his chair up next to him.

“Cain,” Julian said softly, “Your Dad went though a lot last night. You saw how crazy that intruder was when he jumped down from the attic. Your Dad has damaged his knee – it's a serious injury but River thinks she can help him if he has surgery. You do know he's had a crippled leg for half his life, you know even without hurting himself yesterday, he's probably going to end up in a wheelchair like me in a few years time.”

Cain wiped his eyes and turned around.

“_But you're getting better! Dad's getting worse!”_

“Dad's older than me,” he reminded him, “And you don't have to worry about his leg, I'll help him, so will your Mom. Please don't worry about him. Felix is too young to understand, and Luna accepts that he's going to be okay. You need to stay strong for your sister. Please don't get upset like that again.”

“I just want my Dad to be okay,” Cain said as his voice trembled.

“So do I,” Julian agreed, then he gave him a hug.

As Cain let go, his tears had stopped.

“So while Dad's away, I need to take charge.”

“If you want to,” Julian replied, “And you need to start by not worrying your little sister.”

Cain nodded.

“Okay, let's go downstairs and have breakfast,” he replied, “I won't get upset in front of Luna. I'll be like Dad. No getting upset in front of the kids.”

Then they left the room together, heading for the elevator as Cain tried his best to pretend not to be worried, and Julian felt thankful that he had been able to get through to him – Cain had almost fallen apart at the thought of his Dad having more trouble with his leg.

“Don't worry about Mr Penguin,” Jax sat down next to Molly as she waited in a private room at the clinic, she was sitting there with tears in her eyes as she thought of her Oswald, again wounded because of Jeremiah. It made the events of ten years before seem like yesterday, and that pain cut deep.

“It's brought it all back to me,” Molly said as she met his gaze, “This is crazy... I think back to three times, it's been _three _times we had to fight Velaska! Then I think about the war and Bane and how I just got on with it and picked up a gun and… That was easy compared to this! Jeremiah said to me -”

“No, don't think about the ravings of that dead lunatic! Put it behind you, Molly.”

She shook her head.

“He said to me, he more or less said, ever since I met Oswald it was destined to end badly. What if he was right, but not in the way he thought? What if I'm going to lose Oswald? Not because of underworld trouble or old enemies, but this, his weakness, his leg -”

“Molly,” Jax spoke softly as he took hold of her hand, “You've all been through a lot. But Oswald is strong. Never lose sight of that. You and Oswald and Julian have a strong bond – something unbreakable!”

Molly stared at him.

“How much did Oswald tell you about the three of us?”

“Enough to prepare the ground for making an announcement at the right time,” he replied, patting her hand then letting go, “You have a life to look forward to – all three of you together – and you have the baby to think about too! Please stop worrying so much. River said he will be out of surgery in three hours. It's almost time now. You'll see your husband soon.”

“Thank you for waiting with me,” Molly told him, “I appreciate it, Jax.”

He smiled, then checked his watch.

“And now I must step out for a moment – I need to call my wife.”

Molly understood, Jax had been away since the night before, he had stayed with the family all night at the house after helping to sort out the chaos after Jeremiah had met his end. Then, early that morning he had overseen the repair of the front door while the family were still sleeping. He needed to go home soon, he had April and his baby daughter to think about too.

“As soon as I know Oswald's okay, I want you to go home and rest, you need to see your family.”

“As soon as I've taken you home safely I will go home, Mrs Cobblepot,” Jax replied, smiling politely. Then he left the room to make a call to April.

While Jax was in the corridor calling his wife, River returned and the smile on her face was all the reassurance Jax needed to know Oswald had come through the surgery okay. Molly didn't wait for him, she grew tearful as River spoke to her, and then she led her down the corridor to see her husband, who would be waking soon.

“I won't be long,” Jax assured April as he made his call, “As soon as I take Molly home, I'm off duty for the rest of the day. Mr Penguin gave Josh the rest of the week off – he needs it after last night. I'll have to return to work tomorrow.”

April gave a sigh, still feeling tired from lack of sleep thanks to her cold and baby Alicia waking several times in the night.

“That's okay, I understand. I'll see you soon. I love you.”

Jax smiled.

“I love you too, April. Go back to bed, you need to rest. Kiss Alicia for me, tell her Daddy will be home soon.”

“I'll do that, Jax,” April said, then she ended the call.

Molly walked into Oswald's room, drew in a sharp breath as she blinked away tears and hurried to his bedside, taking a seat as she clasped his hand, as River looked on, remembering the past and all the reasons why Molly felt so afraid for her husband. _Memories could be a powerful thing. Last night had been one too many clash with the same lunatic. She was glad Valeska was dead, the past had closed a door once and for all – and maybe now Molly could finally put the past behind her... _

“He's going to recover, Molly,” River reminded her as she saw the way she held on so tightly to Oswald's hand, “I did what I could to minimise the damage. It does affect his long term outlook regarding mobility - but not much - we know he can't walk on that shattered leg forever, he knows it too.”

“He'll be fine,” Molly said quietly, then as Oswald gave a sigh and turned his head, she smiled.

“Ozzie, can you hear me, love?”

Oswald slowly opened his eyes, feeling Molly's hand gripping his firmly.

“Is my leg okay?” he asked weakly.

“Well it's never been okay, not for many years,” Molly reminded him as relief crept into her voice, “But it's better than it was yesterday!”

It was all she could think to say, he was barely awake. Later River would explain how his leg wouldn't stay functional forever, not after all the damage over the years – but Oswald wouldn't listen then, any more than he would listen now.

“I love you, Oswald,” Molly said, and kissed his cheek.

He whispered that he loved her too and slipped back into a deep and restful sleep. Molly stayed with him for another hour while Jax waited around to take Molly home, and he waited patiently, happy to know Mr Penguin was through the surgery and doing well, and also happy to know Molly had finally stopped weeping.

When Molly arrived home, she had a surprise. As soon as she thanked Jax for the ride and told him to go home and get some rest, she had shut the door and turned around and there he was, standing there in a long dark coat open over a dark suit, his black hair combed back and greying at the sides, with a sparkle in his dark eyes as he smiled at his daughter.

“I hear you've had a hard time. But your worries are over Molly, I'm here now!”

She smiled as joy lit up her gaze.

“Dad!” she said, and she hurried over to him, throwing her arms around Kane MacQueen as he hugged his daughter tightly.

“Actually, it's been bad here, it's been awful,” Molly said as her voice trembled.

“Penguin told me all about Velaska,” Kane replied, “Well, he's dead now. No more Jeremiah to hang like a shadow over your lives. You're free of him at last.”

“And Oswald's leg is getting worse,” she replied as she stepped out of his embrace, “River's fixed the damage, but it won't last. Not that Oswald will listen to her. He thinks he can carry on limping on shattered bones for the rest of his days!”

“And you can worry about that when the time comes,” Kane reminded her, “Now tell me, apart from the showdown with Velaska – how are the family, is everyone okay?”

And she began to talk to him about all he had missed as she led him into the front room. Suddenly life had just got brighter, because her Dad was here. It made the worry over Oswald bearable, her Dad being here made everything so much easier to process. They talked in the front room for several hours.

Later that evening, while Julian was starting - for the first time - to break into a run on his treadmill, Molly had just put Felix to bed, then she had gone back downstairs to find Kane spending time with the two older kids. Penguin had been talking to him about his life in the forest, and then he got up and checked the time yet again.

“And now I must get ready,” he announced, “I have a date tonight!”

“Best of luck with that, hope it goes well,” Kane told him with a smile.

“Of course it will go well, I have the Cobblepot charm!” Penguin announced, then he waddled from the room and headed for the stairs.

Julian had just stopped the treadmill. He clung to the bars as he felt weakness in his legs, but he had a smile on his face as paused to catch his breath. Finally, he was walking again. He could even run now, too. He could only do it for short amounts of time, but it was a start and he could build on that. His muscles ached as he got off the treadmill, leaned lightly on the table and then sat down on his bed.

There was a knock on the door.

“Come in,” he said, stripping off his sweat dampened shirt.

Penguin waddled into the room wearing a fine suit, clearly he had made a huge effort for his date tonight.

“Julian...” he touched the tips of his flippers together as he paused, “I need advice about a personal matter.”

“I'm happy to help,” Julian said, “Sit down, Penguin. Tell me what's on your mind.”

Penguin sat beside him as the bed creaked under his heavy weight.

“This girl I'm seeing... I need to explain something to you – I can't do this without your blessing. Things are progressing, we are getting closer. A couple of days ago I kissed her passionately... Well, I did on the second attempt,” he smiled apologetically, “I have to remember to tilt my head so my nose doesn't poke her in the eye... But I think tonight will be a special night. I can't do this without sharing my secret. The lady I am dating is Iris.”

Julian stared at him.

“_Iris?”_  
He nodded.

“It was not planned deliberately – more like fate that we met and struck up a friendship. I wish to pursue her romantically. But I can't do that without being honest with you.”

_Iris and Penguin? _ That was a surprise, but it was a good one. Julian started to smile.

“I moved on from Iris a long time ago. If you want to date her, I'm happy for you – I hope it goes well. Iris is a lovely person.”

Penguin hesitated again, tapping the tips of his flippers together as he thought about the other thing he needed to ask him.

“You are a man of the world,” he said, “You can help me with some intimate advice, I'm certain.”

Julian laughed softly.

“I suppose so - it depends what you mean by that.”

“I am a virgin but I hope to change that if my romance with Iris goes well.”

“Just relax and take things slowly, I'm sure she will be very understanding if you feel shy or unsure. I was very weak when I was saved from the asylum, I certainly wasn't anyone's ideal lover, but Iris was kind and patient and she brought out the best in me and built up my confidence. I'll always be grateful to her for that. You don't have to worry about lack of experience, Penguin.”

He gave a sigh.

”No, that's not what I mean.... I had no company but porn movies as a man stuck in lonely forest and comparing myself to what I saw on those channels, I'm very sure what I have isn't normal..._ Look._..”

He pulled down his zip.

Julian stared, blushing as he tried not to laugh. Penguin had just unzipped his fly, pushed his flipper inside and took out his cock. His long, thick cock that sat in the middle of his big flipper hand.

“Honest opinion,” said Penguin, “Is my cock too big? Will it scare her?”

“No... you just need to let her know you're well endowed...” Julian looked away still blushing as he hid a smile, this was the last thing he had expected Penguin to do. He had come in here to show him his cock, to enquire about its size! There was no way of being prepared for an unexpected conversation like this one...

“Are you sure?” Penguin asked.

“Yes, I'm sure.”

“Do you need to take a closer look?”

“No, Penguin, put it away!”

Julian chuckled as Penguin pushed his cock back out of sight and tugged up his zip.

“You're sure it won't scare her?”

“No, she can handle it, when the time is right, there won't be a problem, Penguin. Now stop worrying and go and see your date!”

He patted his shoulder with a friendly flipper.

“Thank you for your help, my good friend,” he said, then Penguin got up and waddled out of the room.

Julian waited for him to reach the stairs, then he turned away from the door, laughing quietly as he shook his head: This had certainly been unexpected. And Penguin had been so serious about it, too, asking for his honest appraisal of the size of his cock! Then he thought no more about it and kicked off his shoes and laid back on the bed, at last taking rest he had needed since stepping off that treadmill.

Shortly after Penguin left to meet Iris, Molly reminded the older kids it was time for bed. Once they were upstairs, she settled back on the sofa and called the clinic, speaking to Oswald for more than twenty minutes. Once satisfied that he was okay, and much happier after he told her River said he could go home the day after tomorrow, Molly was smiling again. Kane watched the light return to his daughter's eyes as soon as Oswald said he was coming home soon. Then she ended the call and as something caught her eye that only she could see, she got up and hurried over to the window.

“I can see the unicorn running about the grounds,” Molly said, and she turned her head, looking at her Dad.

Kane got up and joined her at the window.

“Oh yes, of course! And there he goes, swishing his little blue tail -”

“Dad?”

Kane looked at her.

“What, Molly?”

She laughed.

“I love your awkwardness! We both know there's no unicorn, it's just a hallucination!”

“I know that Molly, I was just trying to make you feel better.”

She laughed again.  
“And Flossie is a she – who doesn't have a blue tail!”

“Ah well, I must try harder next time.”

Molly leaned her head on her Dad's shoulder as she put her arm around him and they looked to the darkened gardens.

“You used to go along with it when I was little and I said there were fairies at the bottom of the garden.”

Kane turned his head and met her gaze.

“And who says there's not? If kids can believe in magic, maybe us grown ups are missing out on something,” he said fondly, then he gave her a hug.

“I'll miss that unicorn,” Molly said, “The hallucinations are fading out. Soon I won't have them any more.”

“And then you have your little baby to look forward to,” he reminded her.

The thought of Julian's baby warmed her heart with love as her hand slid to her belly.

“Yes, I do – the three of us do,” she agreed with a smile, deciding life had definitely turned a corner now, and things were getting better. Julian's health was improving, Oswald would be back on his feet soon, and Velaska was gone from their lives forever. For once, they had a reason to look forward with no doubt or fear to mar their happiness. This time, it really did feel as if everything would turn out okay...

Across the other side of the city, Ed Nygma, who was well enough to go home and resume his underworld role, had reunited with Lee, assured her he was fine, spent some time with the kids and then, after running through paperwork that was a day late completing because he had been in the hospital, he decided to call Beth Crane.

_Oswald had told him to end it. _

_Ed knew he should listen to that order, too._

_But the thought of her just took him over..._

They met mid afternoon at her place. Beth was taking a few days off work to get over the ordeal with Velaska. But as she answered the door to him wearing a long red silk robe, thoughts of what was under it stirred his erection instantly. He had gone inside, pushed the door shut behind them and passionately kissed her before she led him upstairs to the bedroom.

The taste of her kiss made him feel like foreplay was a waste of time. He wanted his cock out and deep inside her, fucking her hard. No where on earth felt as good a place to be like he felt inside of Beth Crane...But as he kissed her again as he pushed her up against the bedroom wall, she put her hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes.

“Ed, stop. We need to talk.”  
Those words gave him a jolt.

“Talk? Since when did we spend our time together talking, honey? You know I want you -”

“_Listen to me!”_

He looked at her intently.

“What's this about?”

She smiled, tossing her head as her bobbled hair fell back from her face, as a shine of victory came to her her eyes.

“_I'm holding a press conference tomorrow.”_

“What for?” he demanded, “You can't talk about what happened at the mansion – Oswald's handled that as an underworld matter. People don't need to know about Velaska – he's dead now!”

“And what about the file?” she asked.

“I don't know. The fact that he's dead makes that scandal very old and dusty news. I don't think it's going it be big enough to take the heat off any attempt at releasing Ivy Pepper – Velaska's dead, case closed.”

“Then it's a good thing the press conference isn't about Velaska, Ed. _It's about us. I'm making an announcement, bringing our affair into the open for the world to see! You'll be so much happier with me, you know you want to be free to marry me!_”

“_WHAT?”_ Ed said in horror.

Then he froze, his eyes widening as he felt a deep, sickening flicker of panic at the thought of scandal, divorce, losing his wife and kids.... and his job.... At the back of his mind, after skipping his meds once too often, Riddler's voice was loud and clear:

“_You're fool, Ed! I don't think you can handle this mess. Good thing I can, or where would we be, in the gutter with no home and family? She has the power to destroy you, Ed! To destroy our family. I can't let her do that.”_

As she stood there, his hands were on her shoulders. She didn't see him change, she felt him grip her shoulders harder, and then his eyes turned cold as she spoke again.

“Oh calm down, Eddie! You're not happy with Lee, you know you want us to be together!”

“_I don't think you understand.”_

His voice was deeper, colder, there was no trace of her cute and funny, nerdy Ed Nygma any more. He was... _different. _

“Stop it, Ed!” she told him, “I don't care how many people say you used to be Riddler, a dangerous psychopath in the old days, that was then! You're my cute and harmless Eddie and I do know what's best for us. Do you think I want to be a mistress for the rest of my life -”

Beth's words were gone as his hands closed around her throat. Her eyes went wide as she tried to gasp in a breath but he kept on squeezing with a cold rage burning in his eyes.

“Stupid, _stupid_ Beth!” he stated as his hands shook with the brute force he applied as he squeezed hard and her eyes bulged and she thumped against the wall in a vain struggle to free herself, _“Never underestimate me. Eddie is weak, yes – But I am not. I am Riddler and you will NOT destroy our career or family!”_

Just as he squeezed harder, the thought came to her, an awful realisation that she really had underestimated cute Eddie Nygma. _He really was still the Riddler, a man capable of murder, and this mistake would cost her everything, because she was about to die at his hands..._

Then she thought no more as her neck snapped and he watched her fall to the floor. She was dead, her neck was at an angle and her eyes were looking upward, her breath had stopped and as he stood over her, he silently concluded the job was done.

_Weak Eddie's mess was cleared up. _

_No more Beth..._

Ed Nygma woke on the bed in Beth's bedroom just before midnight. His mouth was dry, his head was aching and he looked to the bottle next to the bed... after all he had been through with Valeska, booze had been the last thing on his mind.

“_But I needed a drink!” _hissed Riddler_, “And you should be thanking me. I got rid of our little problem. There won't be a press conference now. Our secret is safe!”_

As Riddler faded from his mind Ed sat up, then switched on the light. As he looked to the carpet and saw Beth's body, he gave a gasp of shock. Beth's dead eyes stared past him as she lay where she had fallen.

“_NO!” _he yelled, looking in horror at the sight before him:

_Riddler had done this. _

_Beth had threatened to tell the city about their affair, and so he had killed her for it..._

Ed sat there with his head in his hands as he sobbed, then he got up, his suit creased from crashing on the bed, and took his phone from his pocket. He saw missed calls from Lee. Those would have to wait.

“_Oh dear, this is bad...”_ he whispered in a tight breath, as he realised the only person he could call for help was Oswald:

_Oswald, the head of the underworld. Who would want to kill him when he realised he had defied an order and carried on the affair. Not only that, but he had killed Beth Crane, an underworld and GCPD ally whose work to improve the prison system had been greatly valued by both sides. This would be bad for the city, bad for unity... but all he could think to do was call Oswald and cry... _

Oswald's phone rang and then went to voicemail. Ed left a message saying to please call him on an urgent matter regarding Mr Riddler. Then he sat in the dark, looking down at Beth's body as he wept, mostly for himself, as he guessed Riddler's meddling had finally taken him over the line. In a city like this one, those who ruled it were gods with the power of life or death. As soon as Oswald contacted him, he would have to tell him everything, then beg for his life, if that was what it took. Killing Beth Crane had the potential to damage the reputation of the underworld in the eyes of the GCPD. Ed was aware Oswald would certainly consider having him executed for this...

“_I'm so sorry!” _he wept,_ “It wasn't me, it was Riddler!”   
_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

It was Jax who received the call, diverted from Oswald's phone because he was yet to return home after his surgery. Jax had answered, Ed had hung up, then Jax had called back, listening in dismay as a tearful Ed Nygma stammered out what he had done.

Jax stood there in his front room, listening to Ed as April looked on, sensing a drop in the atmosphere. She saw the look in her husband's eyes, heard the serious tone of his voice as he replied:

“_Say nothing, do nothing. Await further instruction. Mr Penguin must be informed of this matter.”_

As Jax hung up the call, he turned to his wife with a look of apology in his eyes. He had barely had time to return home and spend a day with April and their baby daughter, and now a matter had arose that was so serious Oswald had to be informed, despite the fact he was still recovering from the treatment to repair his knee.

“What's happened, Jax?”

He looked into the eyes of his wife and shook his head sadly. April stood there with her hair loose and falling to her shoulders, and in her long, silken nightgown, she looked to Jax like a princess from a fairytale. April was his fairytale, his happy ever after. But he saw such worry in her eyes that he had to tell her something – even though he knew he could not share the whole story. He walked over to her, ran his hand over her hair as he looked into her eyes and spoke quietly, choosing his words with care.

“There has been a serious incident that can only be acted on by Oswald. I can't say more, my darling. I'm sorry, but I must remain confidential. This is a very serious matter.”

April's eyes clouded with worry.

“But my Uncle Oswald is still recovering -”

“April, trust me when I say this is something _only_ the head of the underworld can act upon. Now I must leave and go straight to the clinic and inform your Uncle of the situation. I'll be back as soon as I'm able – and don't worry, there is no physical danger, April. There isn't going to be another war!”

The worry faded from her eyes and he kissed her softly, then he went upstairs, changed into his suit and paused to look in at the nursery where baby Alicia was sleeping soundly. Then Jax Sterling left the house, well aware of the weight that was already on his shoulders – Edward Nygma, Oswald's senior representative for the underworld, had killed Beth Crane, underworld supporter and prison governor who was famed in the city for the vast improvements she had made to Blackgate and then Arkham. If the GCPD got hold of this, Ed would be locked back up in the asylum for life and the press would get hold of it, then those who opposed the underworld unity pact would come out of the woodwork and at the least there would be riots and at worst, the underworld's hold on the power sharing agreement in Gotham city would be destroyed... This was the biggest potential threat to the underworld as city rulers since the days of the war...

By the time Jax reached the clinic, River had gone home for the night. He spoke to staff, explaining he had to see Mr Penguin as a matter of urgency, and then he was taken to Oswald, who blinked away sleep as the light was snapped on, then was helped by a nurse to sit up as he rested in bed, glaring at Jax as he wondered why the hell his General had come here to wake him while he was taking desperately needed rest. Then he saw the look in Jax Sterling's eyes and immediately ordered medical staff from the room. As soon as the door closed, Jax explained, quickly and quietly.

By the time he had finished explaining, Oswald was not thinking about the rest he needed or about how much his leg was hurting. He stared up at Jax as he stood by the bed, thinking on the implications of what had happened.

“If this gets out, it could destroy the unity pact,” Oswald said in a hushed voice, _“If necessary, I'm calling Article Two on this.”_

Jax looked at him in dismay.

“But sir, if you do that, and the truth gets out -”

“The truth will _not _get out!” Oswald said firmly, “This is a matter to be handled by the underworld – it has to be, or we lose our authority. Then what do you think will happen to this great independent nation of ours?”

“I think there will be another war, sir.”

“And we can't let that happen,” Oswald took in a deep breath, “If anyone questions her death as anything less than suicide, article two is invoked immediately...” suddenly Oswald didn't sound weak or tired any more as he gave Jax his instructions:

“You will call Josh and together, go to Beth's house. Ed strangled her... so there will be marks around the throat. I want you to hang her. Make it look like a suicide, no explanation, she just hung herself for reasons unknown. Then call the GCPD and inform our closest senior detectives of the suicide – say she was found dead by the GCPD when a passing cop noticed her front door was open. They will make it look believable. We know who we can trust, just keep it away from Jim _honest _Gordon. I will have River perform the autopsy and she will record the cause of death as hanging.”

Jax stared at him.

“Is there a problem, Jax?” Oswald said as the look in his eyes suggested his rising temper had taken over from the pain in his knee.

“No, sir – but I just want to clarify, you want me to _hang_ Miss Crane?”

Oswald's knee throbbed. He needed pain relief, and Jax was delaying it.

“Yes, that's what I said!”

“But the lady is -”

“Already dead, so she won't object!” Oswald said sharply, “Now go, get this done before Ed's actions destroy the unity pact!”

“Yes, Mr Penguin,” Jax replied, and then he paused again, “Sir, what about Ed Nygma?”

Oswald's eyes blazed with fury.

“I know _exactly_ what to do with Mr Nygma,” he replied, “Sedate him, have him quietly admitted to Arkham and kept locked away for the next forty eight hours. Tell the staff to do what ever it takes to restore a reasonable amount of sanity to that lunatic, and his wife is not to be informed of his whereabouts!”

Jax nodded.

“As you wish, sir, I'll get on to it right away.”

Jax left the room, closing the door behind him as Oswald sank back against his pillows and briefly put a hand to his face, wiping away a sting of tears as he recalled his time with Beth, when she had been his lover.

_But that was in the past._

_He had ended it swiftly, to save his marriage._

_Now his only concern was saving the underworld's political standing in Gotham City..._

With Jax sent away with orders to fix this mess, Oswald pressed a button to call the nurse, because he needed sleep to recover and wouldn't be able to get any rest without more pain relief...

Josh had not been expecting a call from Jax. He was certainly not expecting him to say he was outside and it was urgent, either. It had been a wonderful day, spent in bed with Selina. Josh had known it was off to a good start when she said _Good morning_ and he opened his mouth to answer her, and she filled it with a dildo. He had sucked on it like his life depended on it as she stood at the side of the bed, smiling down at him with that seductive, wicked look in her eyes that sent a shiver of uncertainly and excitement deep into his ass.

“_I'm not using lube today. You'd better get that good and wet!”_ she told him.

Josh had tried to coat the strap on with spit, but it was hard, because he was taken by surprise. His cock was also hard, and she slapped it as she got on to the bed and then claimed his ass, sliding it in slowly inch by inch, when her hands were on his hips, she had control of him body and soul. She had fucked him hard that morning, then as she drew out, she had surprised him by thrusting first two fingers inside, then replacing them with her tongue, just as he had frantically jerked off and hit his peak.

It had been a wild day, full of fondling and teasing and lovemaking. Sleep had come after dinner like the promise of sinking into a warm afterglow that would last forever, coloured the shade of love and desire as they held on.

But that was all cut short by the ringing of his phone.

“There's a crisis,” Jax stated, “Your assistance is required on Mr Penguin's orders. I'm outside. Hurry.”

What followed after he told confused Selina not to worry, was a panicked dash to grab a suit and get dressed then hurriedly comb his hair and check his weapon before promising to call his wife soon.

“What's this about?” Selina had demanded as she sat there in bed, her hair messed up and the sheets falling down, looking like an artist had arranged them to crumple so perfectly beneath breasts made swollen by pregnancy.

“I don't know, but I'll be back soon,” Josh had told her, “I have to go, duty calls.”

“You'd better get back here soon!” she complained, then she slumped back, tired from lovemaking and from the pregnancy, as she gave a sad sigh on hearing the close of the front door.

Jax explained everything on the drive to Beth's house.

Josh sat there listening, as the shock of their task settled in, it dawned on him that they were taking on a hell of a cover up. If it got out, a scandal like this could bring down the unity pact. Those who opposed the pact would use Ed Nygma killing Beth Crane to undermine the city's trust in the underworld. The GCPD would have no choice but to take their side if foul play was proven...

“We could all go to jail if this goes wrong,” Josh said quietly as the car stopped around the side of Beth's house and Jax turned off the engine.

“Yes, we could,” Jax replied calmly, “But better we fall than the city, Josh. Remember who you are. You are my assistant, and soon to be acting General in my absence. Which more or less makes you one of the most powerful men in Penguin's army. Obey your orders with love for the city and the pact in your heart, Josh. And remember, we are doing the will of Mr Penguin.”

Josh took a deep breath.

“Yes, Jax,” he replied in a hushed voice.

Josh let Jax take the lead. Despite the warm and friendly nature of Jax Sterling, Oswald's chubby, well groomed second in command, when it came to duty – and especially on this night – Jax was very calm and detached about the whole matter. He paused by the back door, testing the handle then looking to Josh.

“Once I have Nygma under control, you will cuff him,” he said, “We'll drop him off at Arkham on the way back. They're expecting him.”

“What about Beth?” Josh whispered, “We don't have any rope -”

“We don't need rope,” Jax replied quietly, “It's supposed to be a suicide. Let's assume Miss Crane improvised with what was already in the house... a few silk scarves tied together ought to do the trick nicely.”

Then he opened up the door and went into the darkened kitchen and Josh followed.

They found Ed upstairs in the main bedroom. Beth's body was on the floor, she was fully clothed and had no marks visible save those on her throat, her neck was snapped and her eyes were lifelessly staring open. Ed was a sorry sight, sitting there tearful and shaking as the light from the bedside lamp made his green suit sparkle and shimmer.

“_It wasn't me, it was Riddler! Please, I need to see Oswald!”_ he begged.

Jax carefully stepped over Beth's body and sat beside him.

“It's alright, Ed,” he told him calmly, “Oswald has instructed a cover up. I don't doubt he will want to see you soon so you can have a chance to explain your actions, but he's currently recovering from his knee surgery, and he wants to be sure you;re capable of explaining clearly when he can see you. He has a letter for you.”

“Where?” Ed sounded desperate as he looked at Jax.

“It's right here, in my pocket,” Josh said, standing close by.

Ed looked at him. As he turned his head, Jax grabbed him by the hair, tugging his head back. Ed had a second to yell before the needle jabbed into his neck was emptied of its contents and Ed immediately lost consciousness. Jax pulled out the needle, whipped a handkerchief from his pocket and held it to his neck, soaking up any trace of blood, then as he carefully laid Ed on his side on the bed, he kept the handkerchief pressed to the wound as he looked to Josh, who quickly cuffed Ed's hands.

“We need silk scarves, start searching,” Jax said.

It was the strangest, most unsettling thing Josh had ever had to do in his time working for Oswald, as he opened up the dead woman's closet and began to search through her clothing, he found the scarves on a loop hanging in the corner, and pulled out a colourful combination of soft peach and leopard print and black and gold and yellow swirls and pink and black stripes. He handed the scarves to Jax, who sat beside Ed, who was deeply sedated, and watched as he started to tie them together tightly. He made quick work of it, then Jax paused to kneel beside the body. He closed Beth's eyes, said _Excuse me, Beth,_ in a quiet, polite tone as he straightened her clothing, then swept her hair from her face.

“We can't let her look like she's been in a struggle,” he remarked, then he got up and he and Josh carried the body to the balcony.

Josh stood back watching as Jax assured him he could take care of the rest. He made a noose, tied it to the balcony rail, slipped the other end over Beth's broken neck and then pulled it tight. Josh didn't know why he looked away as that noose tightened, after all, the woman was dead – but then as Jax lowered her body over the rail and let go, Josh looked away again. There was a brief second of nothing, then the tension hit the rope and there was a sound of whatever bones in the neck that had not been damaged, breaking like the rest.

“Our work is done,” Jax said, then he called the GCPD, taking care to ask only for specific detectives.

“We can leave the way we came in, but leave the front door open for the cops,” he said as he ended the call, and then they went downstairs, carrying Ed, who was still unconscious, between them. As they reached the bottom, Josh looked up to see Beth's body hanging there, her clothing clung to her curves and even in death she looked pretty as her fair hair partly fell over her eyes. The way her head was at an odd angle was something he didn't want to think about. He was genuinely afraid of nightmares as he left the house. But as they got into the car after putting Ed across the back seat and Jax started the engine, he felt calmer:

_Yes, this was a major incident in the history of the Gotham underworld – so serious, if not for their actions on this night, the pact could have crumbled. It was a lot to carry around, this weight of knowing what he had done, of what they had covered up, but it was done now... _

They stopped off at Arkham, parking around the back where staff were waiting to take Ed inside. Josh got out and uncuffed him then got back in the car. Jax lingered a short time, speaking to the staff, repeating Mr Penguin's instruction. Then Jax returned to the car and breathed a relieved sigh.

“Our work here is done,” he said with a smile, “Thank you for your assistance tonight, Josh. You did very well.”

He started the car and they drove away into the night, taking a turn on to the highway as the lights glowed in the distance, beckoning the two men homeward.

It was as if the events of that evening had not happened as the car stopped outside his house and Josh saw a light on in the house and smiled at the thought of Selina waiting up for him. Obviously she had not been able to sleep after he had been forced to rush away like that, and to know she was waiting up for him filled his heart with warmth, enough to banish the chill at the thought of the unpleasant deed he and Jax had done that night. Josh had seen gangland executions, and understood it was all part of his side of power ensuring they kept that power – but he had never, ever expected that working for Oswald would mean having to hang the corpse of a murder victim.

“Don't think about it,” Jax said, catching a brief look in his eyes that he knew too well, “There's a first time for everything and working for the underworld, in a high position, sometimes means we have to carry out the most unpleasant tasks. Now, go home to Selina and think no more about it.”

“Right,” Josh agreed, “I'll just think about Selina.”

“And don't tell her anything about tonight,” Jax reminded him, “This is huge, Josh. The less people know, the safer they are. It remains between you and I and Mr Penguin and others playing their part in the cover up,” Jax made a fist and turned it around, displaying the tattoo of the crest of the unified Gotham underworld.

“For Gotham and Unity, long live the pact.”

“Long live the pact,” Josh agreed, then he got out of the car and walked away, opening the gate just as Jax drove off, and he felt sure he had never been so relieved to be home. The porch light came on and Selina opened the door, wearing nothing but one of his shirts, partly buttoned up.

“Please tell me Jax isn't going to drag you out of our bed again like this!” she said fondly as she stood there in the doorway, wrapping her arms around him as she pulled him close, then her expression changed to one of curiosity.

“What happened tonight? Is everything okay?”

He knew he couldn't tell her. This secret was so big it had the potential to shatter the unity pact. It was so big, anyone who knew, and talked – even accidentally, would be six feet under in a matter of days, with no exception...

“It was nothing,” he replied, “Oswald's laid up in the clinic and he's getting grumpy about some paperwork, it took me and Jax a couple of hours to go through it all, it was no big deal.”

“Next time, Oswald can do his own paperwork!” Selina exclaimed, then she pulled him inside and closed the front door, kissed him fondly and took him by the hand, leading him up the stairs and back to bed as Josh kept a firm grip on her hand, knowing he had lied to his wife tonight – but only because he loved her and their unborn child. _This secret was deadly. He could tell no one what really happened on the night Beth Crane died..._

Jax returned home just after 1 am. He parked the car in the garage and then went into the house quietly, keen not to wake April or the baby. He took off his coat, hung it up and then paused, hearing a sound coming from up the stairs. _Alicia was crying. _

_She kept on crying. _

“April?” Jax called, guessing his wife, still suffering from a cold, had fallen so deeply asleep that Alicia's cries had not woken her.

Then he got to the top of the stairs and heard water running. He saw it spilling out across the tiled floor of the bathroom as he reached the doorway, then he saw it was tinged with red and rushed, half slipping, to the bath tub, where he reached into the water, shouting her name as he dragged her from the water. She hung limp in his arms as he laid her on the floor, the water was still running and as he turned it off he saw the blood in the tub, and the blood on the side of the bath... he was half blinded by tears as he called an ambulance, his heart was racing and one look at her told him she was gone, but he wasn't going to give up. He stammered that his wife seemed to have fallen in the bath and hit her head, he found her under running water... then he tossed the phone aside, making a desperate attempt at reviving her as he breathed into her mouth, then did chest compressions.

_She was dead._

_He knew it before the ambulance arrived. _

While the paramedics worked on her, he checked the bathroom cabinet, taking out the unopened pill bottle and dropping it as he sobbed, then slid to the floor. April had not opened her medication. She had been tired, feeling unwell and decided to take a bath, she had not taken her epilepsy meds that night...

The cops came after the ambulance took her away.

Jax sat in the front room with eyes red from weeping as the officer took his statement. Forensics would be checking the house, he was told, and he needed to wait in the front room. No one accused him of anything – it was clear what had happened. April had suffered a seizure and drowned.

Then came the question that briefly jolted him out of his grief:

_Where was he when his wife drowned?_

Jax clung to his only other reason to carry on, he had his daughter – and he had his position as Oswald's general. And what he had done that night to cover up Beth's murder had to remain shrouded in lies forever if the city was to remain stable under the pact.

“I fell asleep watching TV,” Jax stated, “I woke up to hear Alicia cry. That was when I went upstairs and found her.”

Tears streaked his face as he made that statement, but he knew it was all he could say. He also knew April would have understood, had she known the facts that night – but he never would have told her, because he wanted to protect her...

_His wife was dead._

_That night passed by in a blur. _

_He focussed on Alicia. She was all he had left..._

Next morning Molly was up early, smiling as she kissed Julian and told him to look after the kids, because she was going to fetch Oswald from the clinic. Penguin was waddling about the kitchen cooking for the family, before cooking a huge breakfast for himself. He had a big smile on his face. Clearly, his date with Iris had gone well.

“But we are yet to progress to...” Penguin glanced to the table, aware the kids were present, then leaned closer to Molly and whispered:

“Unfortunately – for now - I am still a virgin...”

Molly smiled fondly.

“And there's no rush,” she reminded him, “The best things in life are worth waiting for, remember that.”

Then Molly hurried out, keen to get to the clinic and bring her Oswald back home.

When Molly arrived at the clinic, she had a smile on her face. She kept thinking, this was different to before – Jax had been right, then was _not_ now. Ten years back, Oswald's injuries had almost killed him. This time, Valeska had damaged her husband's knee, but he was well enough to come home today and all she had to worry about this time was Oswald complaining because he didn't want to be in a wheelchair until his knee was healed. She could take his moods, she knew he hated any reason that kept him in bed or off his feet. But he was coming home, and the family would all be together again... Then she saw River standing outside his room, Victor was with her, he had his arm around her as she wept against his shoulder and Molly's heart almost stopped as she gave a gasp and broke into a run, tears stinging at her eyes as she thought the worst:

_No. Not her Oswald. She couldn't lose him now..._

“What's happened? “ she said as she ran over to them, “Don't you tell me my Oswald's -”

“It's not Oswald, he's fine,” Victor said quietly as he stroked his wife's hair and she pulled back from his embrace. It was then Molly saw deep grief in her gaze, her face was streaked with tears and as she spoke, she sounded heartbroken.

“Dad's fine, Molly. It's not Dad... It's April... I found out last night, came up here this morning to tell Dad...” she gave another sob, shaking her head as words failed her.

Victor pulled her back into the comfort of his embrace as he spoke softly, holding his weeping wife as he explained everything to Molly.

“April had seizure last night. She hit her head in the bath and drowned. Jax was downstairs watching TV, he fell asleep, then he heard the baby cry and he went upstairs and found April in the bath tub. He tried to revive her, he called 911 but it was too late, he's heartbroken.”

Molly stared at him in disbelief.

“April can't be dead... she's young, she's got a baby, she's…Oh god, no...Oswald must be devastated...”

As Victor comforted River, Molly hurried into Oswald's room. She found him dressed and ready to leave, and he wasn't complaining about having to sit in a wheelchair as he rested his cane beside it. He had been sulking about the fact that he couldn't yet walk because of his knee, but now that didn't matter. On the night the unity pact had been saved and Beth's death had been covered up, another death had occurred – this time, an accident. River;s adopted daughter was dead, drowned because of a seizure. Even in his grief Jax had managed to cover up his whereabouts, saying nothing about Beth, claiming to have fallen asleep downstairs and woken up when the baby cried. He was sure he would never again know a man as loyal as Jax Sterling, who was now home alone with the baby and his grief....

“I'm so sorry, love!” Molly said, leaning over the wheelchair as she hugged her husband.

Oswald blinked back tears.

“I can barely believe it,” he said as emotion shook his voice, “I remember April when she was just a kid – her and River saved my life, while I was held captive... that brave little girl, she grew up to have such a great future to look forward to with Jax and Alicia – what will Jax do now? He's all alone!”

“First of all,” Molly said, blinking away tears, “We have to get you home and you have to rest that leg. You won't recover well if you're going over there and trying to help Jax – maybe he can come to us, with the baby and stay for a while, maybe until he finds a new place to live?”

Oswald shook his head.

“Jax won't give up that house, it was his father's place. He wouldn't want to be away from there, even after what happened. Being there, with memories of his father will be a comfort at this time. I called him this morning. I told him to take as long as he needs. I also assured him that he's family to us, he always will be, Molly. Him and Alicia. Jax is a strong person, he's doing what's best for him right now – he's at home with his daughter. I just wish I could have changed what happened.”

“Don't think like that, love. You couldn't have done a thing to change this!”

As Molly said that, Oswald felt a sting of guilt. Molly didn't know about last night, she didn't know he had sent Jax out to cover up Beth Crane's death – the apparent suicide was yet to hit the news, the body would be in the morgue now, and in light of the family tragedy, Oswald had made some phone calls that morning, assigning the autopsy and requested result to another doctor who would serve the underworld proudly and follow orders. River was in no state to do anything at this time but mourn April's loss.

“I wish I could have saved her, Molly,” he said, then he reached for his cane, placing it beside him as he sat there in the wheelchair, his thoughts on April's death, as thinking of that made his resentment at being stuck in this chair until his knee healed seem trivial. _April was gone. That fact would take a lot of getting used to..._

Later that day, the news of Beth Crane's apparent suicide broke. Molly was about to grab her keys to pick the kids up from school. Felix was upstairs having a nap, and Julian was resting after walking for half an hour on the treadmill. Penguin was visiting Iris, and Molly and Oswald were upstairs, Oswald was in bed, resting and watching TV when the news had come on and Beth's death had been announced. Molly watched the report feeling anger towards Beth, who had once killed herself when Oswald had ended their affair. She had brought her back despite everything purely for the benefit of the city and the work she had done to improve prison conditions – and the ungrateful cow and just gone and hanged herself...

“Well,” Molly said as she picked up her car keys, “She won't revive a second time. But at least she got Blackgate and Arkham improved before she decided to end it all. That's a big plus for the city.”

As Felix slept beside him on top of the covers, Oswald shot her a look of disbelief.

“Molly, she's dead! You could be a little more respectful! I think it's terrible news!”

As he said that, he silently concluded hearing of her murder had been terrible. He didn't want to think about the necessary cover up. Right now, Ed Nygma was locked up in Arkham, and would now be staying for a week, while Lee called around in vain asking if anyone had seen her husband. Oswald had spoken to the asylum that morning, and agreed that Ed would benefit from a short course of shock therapy combined with medication. He had to be sure this time, Ed was put back properly in control...

“I'm not sorry she's dead,” Molly told him, “I'm just pissed off that I went to the trouble of reviving her the first time for her to throw it all away now! The city needed her!”

“But she's dead Molly,” Oswald replied quietly as he rested on bed and Felix slept on soundly, “As you know I have no romantic feelings for her, but I am saddened at the news of her death.”

Annoyance flashed in Molly's eyes.

“How can you...” she lowered her voice, aware their young son was sleeping on the bed next to his father, “_How_ can you feel anything for her? She almost wrecked our marriage a few years back! No, Oswald, I'm not sorry _slut face_ _Beth_ is dead – I'm sorry_ April _died, _she_ deserves my grief!”

“This has_ nothing_ to do with our loss of dear April!”

“I know that,” Molly replied, “I'm just saying, Beth's gone?_ So what, your ex mistress is no more. Thank fuck! Dong dong the witch is dead!_ Now I have to get going or I'll be late to pick up the kids. If Felix wakes and needs anything, don't try and get up, just shout to Julian.”

Molly snatched up her car keys and left the room.

Oswald sat there in bed, thinking on all she had just said: He was sure no feelings still lingered for Beth. He decided not to mention her again, because it would only drag up the past, bringing back memories of a time he wished they could both forget...

Josh got the call late in the afternoon.

It was a call he had not been expecting, and as soon as Oswald said he was required to return to work immediately, for a brief moment, he feared the cover up had gone wrong. Then Oswald had explained that Jax had just lost his wife. That news had come as a shock:

_April was dead?_

Then Josh received a bigger shock.

“In light of the fact that Jax will be off duty for a while, I need someone to act as General in his absence,” Oswald explained, “And Jax did say to me he thought you would be an excellent choice.”

Josh stood there in the front room with the phone to his ear as he stared at Selina.

“You want me to be acting General, sir?”

Selina's eyes went wide.

“_What?”_ she whispered in surprise.

Josh tried to convey what was happening without Oswald realising Selina was present.

“Are you sure you want me to do this, sir?”

“I wouldn't be asking unless I was sure. Now, you start today, and continue until Jax returns to work,” Oswald told him, “And while you are acting General your pay jumps by 80k.”

Josh almost dropped the phone.

“My pay jumps by 80K while I'm doing Jax's job?” he exclaimed.

“_Do it, Josh, do it!”_ Selina whispered excitedly.

Oswald paused before replying.

“Yes Josh, your pay will rise hugely while you are doing Mr Sterling's job. And I suggest if you want to share this conversation with Selina, you put the phone on loud speaker instead of repeating everything I say. It's _so_ obvious!”

“Sorry, sir,” Josh replied.

“Just be ready for this challenge,” Oswald reminded him, “And I want you over at city hall by five thirty. A conference room has been set aside for a meeting with the press, you will be representing me for a comment on the death of Beth Crane. You are to say that she was an asset to the city and will be sadly missed by all who knew her. We are also grateful for the years she dedicated her life to prison reforms and the sweeping changes made at Arkham. Then I want you to say today the underworld is in mourning for the loss of Mrs April Sterling, who passed away last night in a tragic accident leaving behind her husband Jax and baby daughter Alicia. And of course the Cobblepot family, who will miss her greatly. Please give more speech time to April than you do to Beth. Swerve away from questions regarding how well I knew Beth during my stay in Blackgate infirmary, and be aware that not all members of the press support the unity pact. There are a few newspapers and news channels that are anti unity pact and they might ask some tough questions. I have faith in you, Josh. You can handle this. I look forward to seeing the news report later.”

Oswald ended the call.

“Eighty K!” exclaimed Selina as she got up from the chair, her eyes shining as she thought about what they would do with the extra money, especially now a baby was on the way.

But Josh just looked back at her nervously.

“I have to speak to the press,” he told her, “I'm doing what Jax would have done – and I'm not ready for this. If they ask a tough question and I screw up, Oswald will fire me.”

Absolute faith shone in Selina's eyes as she smiled.

“You won't screw this up,” she assured him.

As she hugged him, Josh still had his doubts. He had just been handed a huge opportunity – and one wrong response could wreck everything, and he wasn't sure he was ready – but Jax and Oswald both thought he was, so he had no choice but to do it, and hope for the best...


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Jax was at home with baby Alicia in his arms as he cradled her, watching her sleep after a feed. He wanted to close the curtains and keep everything dark, purely because life outside this house no longer interested him, all that mattered was getting through each hour, focusing on Alicia. He had kept the curtains open, letting the light stream in as he recalled the days he had spent in the garden with April. She had loved his garden, especially the roses – his late father's roses.

“She was the one I waited to meet all my life,” he said softly as he looked down at his baby daughter, “The only woman I ever loved, and now she's gone. You're my reason to carry on, Alicia. I swear I won't give up, Daddy will never let you down.”

Just then, a news report started on TV. Live from city hall, an underworld response to the death of Beth Crane... and _Josh_ was speaking? Jax watched intently, knowing some of those city reporters could be real bastards when it came to grabbing a chance to make the underworld look bad.

“You can do this, Josh, I know you can!” he said, watching as the press conference began.

Josh hoped he could handle this. It was on his mind as soon as he stepped up to speak and the flashbulbs went off as pictures were taken and cameras were turned towards him:

_Oswald was at home watching this. _

_Maybe Jax was watching too._

_Or maybe Jax wasn't bothered about anything now he was grieving for April._

But Oswald was _definitely_ watching...

_Don't fuck up_, ran through his mind, then he held up a hand for silence, cutting off the questions called towards him, he had just imitated the same way he had seen Jax do it, and must have done it well, because they all shut up, watching him, waiting for him to speak. He felt nervous, his legs were shaking and he hoped it didn't show. He guessed he was shaking on the inside, where only he knew about it. Then he thought about Selina and the baby and how far he had come to be standing here, acting as General to Mr Penguin. Right now at this moment, he was the most important man in Oswald's army, and as he remembered that, something happened: He found his voice as the reporters started to chatter, then to call questions once more. He looked sharply at them, again holding up a hand for silence.

“Today you receive comment from the underworld, regarding more than one tragedy,” Josh stated, “And this is how it will work out of respect for the dead: _I will speak, you will listen._ I will take limited questions after I have said my piece. I hope I have made myself clear.”

He was rewarded with obedient silence.

He wanted to smile.

_No, don't do that, r_an through his mind, _This is about two deaths, Josh, don't smile and screw this up!_

Then, using the same tone of authority he had just used to silence the press, Josh spoke again:

“I am here today on behalf of Mr Penguin and the whole of the ruling underworld to express sorrow at the tragic death of Beth Crane. Her work to improve conditions in Blackgate and Arkham will never be forgotten, and ever be appreciated. We extend condolences to all who knew her. And now, on the matter of a tragedy closer to home, today the underworld mourns the loss of Mrs April Sterling, who passed away last night due to a tragic accident. She leaves behind her husband Jax and daughter Alicia. Our thoughts are with them at this time, and also with Mr Penguin, and all the Cobblepot family. Alicia will be missed by all who knew her, especially by her adopted mother River. For April to die so young, leaving behind her husband and baby daughter is unthinkable. It's a tragic day for the underworld.”

As he stood there looking solemn as the press took pictures and scribbled notes, he was inwardly yelling, _Yes! I've done it!_ as he commanded his audience. He was sure he had given a perfect performance.

And then a female reporter spoke up, he saw the logo on her jacket, she was from the Gotham City Sun, a newspaper that was anti the unity pact. And what she said gave him a real jolt.

“The late Mrs Sterling's husband would be Jax, the Penguin's General?” she asked.

“Yes, that is correct,” Josh replied.

“And you work alongside Jax Sterling?”

“I do,” Josh confirmed, “And it's an honour to serve Mr Penguin alongside him, and my condolences also go out to Mr Sterling on this day.”

The woman looked at him intently.

“So it doesn't bother you, working alongside Oswald Cobblepot's General, Jax Sterling, former thief and drug addict?”

Josh froze for a split second. Then as he looked at the reporter, he drew in a slow breath before speaking.

“Me Sterling's past has no bearing on his present, he is a fine General.”

“A fine General to the Penguin in the days after the war, are you aware Mr Sterling was questioned by the GCPD in relation to an incident at the Riverfront Nightclub, when a rival of Penguin's was killed by a bomb? Twelve civilians were also killed.”

Josh paused. He thought back to everything he had ever heard about the shaky days after the city had claimed its independence. Then he remembered exactly what she was talking about :

_Jax Sterling had planted that bomb? _

That was a shock, but he couldn't show it as he gave his response.

“Mr Sterling's loyalty to the underworld is unshakeable, and in those dark days of post war, when to a large extent, the struggle for power turned certain parts of Gotham into a war zone once more, there were incidents like the one you mentioned but, the bombing you referred to didn't kill civilians. A rival gang leader who had killed a group of Mr Penguin's men in cold blood – by tossing a grenade into a warehouse – was killed in the nightclub explosion, on a night when the club was closed for business - along with several of his men. All of whom were a threat to the stability of the newly formed, new Gotham Underworld, the _same _underworld that works today with the city to keep us unified and secure. Mr Sterling has _never_ been charged with a bombing offence. _You might want to check your facts before hurling accusations, I'm not sure your newspaper can afford to be sued_.”

The reporter's face paled as she sat back down. Then a ripple of applause went around the gathering. Josh kept the floor open, this time he received questions from pro unity reporters, asking about Beth's funeral, and if Mr Penguin would allow the public to send flowers in sympathy for April's death.

Ten minutes later, Josh said, _That will be all, thank you,_ and then he walked away and left the room. He was sweating and he hoped it didn't show. But as he left the building his phone rang and for a moment, he sweated more as he realised the caller was Oswald.

“Yes, sir?” Josh said, trying not to sound nervous.

But he didn't need to worry.

“Well done Josh,” Oswald told him, “You did a splendid job. And you handled the reporter from that crappy anti unity rag very well indeed. You certainly shut her up! Congratulations on a job well done.”

“Thank you Mr Penguin, sir,” said Josh, then Oswald ended the call and Josh hurried to his car.

He drove off heading for home, and now he was smiling. What had seemed like a daunting task had actually proved to be easier to handle than he had first expected. He didn't doubt after this, he would go further than he ever dreamed possible now he was Oswald Cobblepot's General...

It wasn't long before the conspiracy theories surfaced.

Beth had been dead four days when whispers started online that maybe, Beth Crane had been murdered. Perhaps she had upset the underworld and someone had silenced her over _something_. By now news had leaked that she had been planning to speak to the press about an unknown matter on the day after her death. And then _someone_ remembered that Beth had been governor of Blackgate when Oswald had been incarcerated there. That really made the rumours expand. By the time Julian came across it, people were already saying that maybe, Oswald had an affair with Beth, that it started while he was in Blackgate. It didn't help that someone had got hold of the death scene picture of Beth wrapped in a red silken robe, hanging from the balcony. A lot of emphasis had been put on how she was so beautiful and had died so mysteriously. It seemed this was the kind of story that would always grab at the imaginative...

Julian had read through the wild theories that had a ring of truth to them, then he had taken his lap top into the bedroom and showed it to Molly and Oswald.

Molly sat beside her husband, who was still resting in bed as his knee healed, as Julian waited for his response.

“Well, I suppose we should have expected this,” Oswald said, and closed down the laptop. He looked from Molly to Julian.

“It's time we made an announcement to shut up the rumours,” he told them, “We should tell the kids first, then the press – about the three of us. That should take the heat off the rumours, and we want to get the news out before the baby is born anyway. Are you okay with that, Julian?”

He nodded, knowing this was long over due. It was time to be open about their three way relationship, and about his own past, and his true identity as Julian Lambrick.

“Yes, I'm ready,” he agreed.

Molly looked from Julian to Oswald, knowing she wasn't too worried about what the city thought of their relationship – this was a most accepting place. But it was the kids she worried about and what they would make of it all.

“We should get this over with,” she told them, “Let's talk to the kids tonight.”

While Molly and the two men in her life were planning to explain the situation to the children, Josh was returning home after a day in the office – Jax's office, ensuring all paperwork was kept up to date. In the time Jax had been absent, he had called him every day. Jax sounded quiet and at times, tearful, but he had insisted he needed time alone to focus on his daughter and make plans for April's funeral. He said that was helping, to keep busy. Josh had not asked him about his past, it was the wrong time. But he had asked some of Oswald's senior staff who had worked with Jax for years, and one had shared a story:

It was about a young man who turned to crime to feed his drug habit and pay for his booze because he couldn't cope with the strain of caring for his sick father who was dying. That young man had been Jax, who many years ago, had robbed Oswald. And Oswald had taken pity on him, got him clean and sober, given him a job and helped him to afford care for his dying father. It was no surprise Oswald's General was so loyal. Oswald had given him a new life and a future all those years ago. Josh hoped that knowing he could return to work when he was ready would help him to get through this. He had sounded so empty and lost on the phone, like the grief was tearing him apart...

Selina was tired that evening, the pregnancy was starting to wear her out with morning sickness and exhaustion. It seemed the first months were the hardest, at least, they were for Selina. Josh saw how exhausted she looked and offered to cook dinner. Selina gratefully rested on the sofa while he was cooking, then, thankfully, she ate dinner with him. It took his mind off his sadness for Jax and his loss to see his wife managing to eat a whole meal again.

“I've felt so lousy these past few days,” Selina said as she finished dinner, “I hope this is a very _very _short phase of the pregnancy!”

Josh smiled as he looked across the table at his pregnant wife.

“I think you get more beautiful with every passing day,” he told her, “And you and our baby will have no worries, Selina – I said I'd take care of you, and I will.”

She smiled back at him as joy shone in her eyes.

“And you're making this money so easily,” she said, “Who would have thought working for Oswald would be so ordinary and simple!”

Then she laughed softly as she reached for a glass of mineral water.

Josh smiled, saying nothing, as in his mind it all flooded through at speed: _Watching out for the cops as Jax shot an enemy of the underworld in the back of the head. Standing over those who had displeased his boss as Jax beat the shit out of them. Watching Penguin gut Jeremiah Valeska like a fish. Seeing Beth Crane's dead body dropped over a balcony to hang suspended by a noose..._

“Yes,” he agreed, keeping his wife away from the dark side of his life, “It's a very easy, very safe job - most of the time. And I'm learning every day. I think I'm going to go far working for Oswald.”

“I think so too,” Selina agreed, smiling as love reflected in her gaze and Josh looked back at her, saying no more because the worst downside to this job – worse than the unpleasant tasks he sometimes had to carry out – was lying to his wife, that was the part he hated most of all, but it was the price for this life, the price of his success, and he had already accepted it.

At the house, Molly and Oswald were downstairs in the front room with Julian. Oswald was up and dressed and the pain relief was working well on his healing leg, he just wished he didn't have to use Julian's wheelchair to go downstairs in the elevator. Julian had used his cane to take the journey downstairs, he had walked into the front room, he was limping heavily because he had over done it on the treadmill earlier that day, but he was walking now – while Oswald was stuck in a wheelchair. That was something Oswald didn't want to think too much about as he was helped to the sofa, then Molly sat beside him and Julian sat down too. Felix had been put to bed in the nursery, and when Molly called Luna and Cain into the room, they stood there looking at their parents and Julian, wondering what this was about. The adults were silent for a moment. Julian glanced at Molly, and she looked at Oswald.

“I'm dreading this,” she said quietly, “I'm not sure they will understand.”

“Oswald's good with words,” Julian said with a hopeful smile.

On hearing that, Oswald gave a sigh and looked to the kids.

“Cain, Luna, we have something to tell you,” he began.

“And we want you to understand it's not complicated or weird -” Molly said, then she floundered and looked to Julian.

“Your Dad will explain,” he said quickly as Cain looked at him in confusion.

“What's this about?” Cain asked.

“Is something wrong, Mommy?” Luna sounded worried.

Oswald spoke up.

“Julian's not really your brother. He's my adopted cousin. His real name is Julian Lambrick.”

The kids both turned their heads, looking at Julian.

“It's true,” he told them.

“We had to pretend Julian was my son to keep his adopted father away from him, because he was a very cruel person,” Oswald added.

“Just tell them the rest,” Molly said quietly.

Oswald looked to his kids once more.

“The truth is, you know how there are all kinds of different relationships in the world? Well, some people have a husband or a wife and sometimes, some people have three people in a marriage. Me, your Mom and Julian love each other very much. We are together as a relationship. Do you understand that?”

Molly looked anxiously at her kids. Julian sat there in silence as Oswald waited for their response.

Luna stepped closer and spoke up first.

“So... I have Mommy and Fish Mommy, and also Daddy and … Daddy Julian?”

Julian started to smile.

“I like that! Daddy Julian! Yes, you can call me that if you want to!”

She smiled.

“Okay, I get it,” she said brightly.

Cain looked at his Mom.

“So you're all together?”

Molly drew in a deep breath.

“Yes,” she told him, “And soon, Julian will be moving into our room so we can all be close all the time. And this little baby, your new brother or sister, is Julian's baby.”

Cain paused for thought.

“So I'm Dad's son and Luna is Dad's son and the baby is Julian's?”

“Yes...” she told him cautiously.

“Okay,” Cain replied, “That makes sense. You all love each other, so you take turns making the baby.”

Molly started to smile.

“That's a lovely way to put it, yes, Cain, that sounds right.”

“Do you have any questions?” Oswald asked.

“Yes,” Luna said, “My friend Shelly has two moms and a dad and they all live together but they have a dog, his name is Rusty. So now Mommy is with two Daddies, can we get a dog too?”

Oswald laughed softly as he looked at his daughter.

“I don't think a person has to be in a certain kind of relationship to get a dog but yes, okay, maybe we can get a dog.”

Cain and Luna looked excited now.

“Do you have any more questions?” Oswald asked.

“Yes,” said Luna, “Will he be a big dog or a small dog?”

“I want a bulldog!” said Cain.

Molly giggled as she and Julian exchanged a glance. So much for worrying that the kids wouldn't understand...they were more interested in the fact they were getting a dog!

“We shall see, that discussion is for another time,” Oswald replied, “But yes, we can get a dog if you both want one.”

“Thanks Dad!” Cain said, then he raced out of the room yelling,_ “I'm going to call him Bailey!”_

“_No no no!”_ Luna called back as she ran out of the room after her brother, _“She will be a girl and her name is Sparkle!”_

Now the kids had left the room, Oswald reached for Molly as Julian did the same and the three of them sat there embracing, as Molly laughed.

“Who would have thought the kids would have taken it so well?” she said in surprise.

“Let's just be thankful they did,” Oswald replied, then Molly sat up and looked to the fire place as something crumbled to ash, consumed by the flames that flickered within.

“What have you burned, Oswald?”

“The file on Velaska's escape from Arkham,” he replied, “It's of no use to us now, why stir up old news, he's dead, let him stay forgotten.”

Julian looked at him sharply.

“Don't tell me that means Ivy has to be forgotten too! I thought you said we could free her while the Valeska file was a media distraction, you said that was the plan?”

Oswald reached over Molly's lap and placed his hand on Julian's knee and gave it a squeeze as a sparkle came to his eyes.

“I have a back up plan, Julian. When we announce our three way relationship to the public, we can have Ivy's underworld protection status processed and I'll handle the rest. The city will be too stunned about Julian's real identity, and the life we really share together, to think much about Ivy Pepper's release. I have it all planned out...” then his smile faded, “But we must get April's funeral done first, then think of everything else that matters later,” he concluded.

Molly paused for thought.

“Why can't River try and revive her? She's brought people back before!”

Oswald shook his head sadly.

“During the revival process, there is a risk that the patient might lose all memory of their life previous to their death,” he explained, “And as River's daughter, with experience of working with experimental agents, April was aware of this. She had it stated on her medical file that if she met her death by accident or injury, she did not want to be revived. That's official, and River can't go against it or she would lose all permission to practise medicine and to carry out her research, too. And she wouldn't want to go against April's wishes. She loved her too much to do that.”

Molly's heart ached for River's situation.

“She has the power to bring her back, but her hands are tied on the matter?”

“Yes,” Oswald replied, “Unfortunately, she has no choice but to obey April's decision.”

“I bet she never would have made that choice if she'd known this would happen one day.”

“But she didn't know,” Oswald replied as he blinked to fight off the sting of tears, “And that was her choice, and it must be respected.”

The lights were off in her apartment as Iris lay in bed, her arms around Penguin as his neck ached because he was careful about the angle of his head as he kissed her again, keen not to stab her in the eye with his nose. His open flipper pushed in a little more as her back arched, and as he used the other half of it to rub firmly against the heat of her body she gave a gasp, pulling back from their kiss as she gave a soft moan and he felt her walls contract. Penguin's eyes went wide as he watched her face flush. His cock was solid and seemed to feel even harder now - she had already sucked it and then stopped in case it was too much for him, he had almost lost control at the thought that finally, he was going to have sex, it was happening at last!

And he had just given his girlfriend an orgasm. He felt stunned at the achievement as he watched her breathe deeply and open her eyes, as the last throb of her body faded out. His flipper felt warm and sticky and he drew it out gently.

“Was... was that nice?” he asked cautiously, “Did I do it right?”

Iris pulled him closer and met his gaze.

“Yes, it was wonderful,” she promised him.

“It's just that we're so much more quiet than people in porn movies, and they seem to be so energetic, too!” he said, and Iris laughed softly.

“Forget porn movies, you're doing it right,” she assured him, and then she rolled him on to his back and got on top as his flippers opened up and he looked up at her, freezing in a moment of panic.

“Are you sure you want to...”

“Yes, let me take the lead, Penguin,” she said softy, and she kissed him, then she lowered herself on to his large, hard cock that slid in easily after stimulation to orgasm with his wide flipper.

As she started to move gently, Penguin breathed in soft gasps, looking up at her in wonder.

“_That's so good!”_ he said breathlessly.

“It's supposed to be,” she whispered as she ran her hand over his hair, “Just enjoy it, Penguin...”

He did enjoy it, every wonderful second until excitement got the better of him and he lost control, coming with a soft gasp as he closed his flippers about her shoulders, trembling as orgasm rushed through his body. They lay together in silence for a few moments, then he turned his head and met her gaze with a big smile on his round face as joy shone in his eyes.

“I made love to you!”

“Yes, you did,” Iris said fondly, and she pulled him closer, embracing him as Penguin lay beside her, his flipper closed over her slender hand as he smiled in the darkness, feeling as if a dream had finally come true.

Next morning, Molly took the kids to school. Penguin called to say he would be home much later that day as he and Iris had grown closer, and when Julian told Oswald about that, he simply said, _wonderful news_, and then fell silent as he sat on the edge of his bed, resenting his healing knee that kept him helpless and stuck in a wheelchair.

“You don't have to get up yet,” Julian reminded him as he leaned on Oswald's borrowed cane and limped over to the wardrobe to take out a suit, “But I don't mind dressing you. Let me take care of you for a change, Doctor Cobblepot,” he glanced back at him and smiled, but his smile soon faded as he saw the look of intense worry on Oswald's face.

Julian returned to his bedside and sat down.

“It's not forever, Oswald! You'll be walking again soon.”

“It's not my knee,” he said as sadness reflected in his eyes, “Today Ed Nygma is being released from Arkham. Josh is bringing him straight over to the house to speak with me. Lee has been trying to find him all week, she listed him as missing, she's called me several times asking for help to trace him and each time I've had one of my people take the call and make excuses... She's been led to believe maybe he's gone missing voluntarily, perhaps he's straying yet again... But I'm not responsible for the state of his marriage.”

Julian stared at him.

“Ed was in Arkham? You knew and you didn't tell Lee?”

Oswald looked at his lover. Julian knew nothing of the cover up over Beth Crane's murder, neither did Molly, and it would stay that way...

“The truth is, Ed had a breakdown,” Oswald replied, “Too much partying and misuse of drugs, he was found wandering in traffic. I couldn't let the media get hold of the story so I put him in Arkham to recover. And I'm not looking forward to seeing him today. Please don't say a word to Molly about this. The less people know, the better. And I know she would feel sorry for Lee and the kids, with him going missing for a week.”

Julian nodded.

“I understand, I won't say a word.”

“Thank you.”

Oswald met his gaze, pulled him closer and kissed him softly, then he smiled.

“And now I think you really should help me to get dressed – I can't see Mr Nygma in my underwear!”

“I_ love_ seeing you in your underwear!” Julian said playfully, then he laid out the suit on the bed and started to help Oswald get up and start his morning.

Josh was feeling uneasy. What Oswald had ordered him to do that day was a difficult task, even though all he had to do was turn up at Arkham, take Ed to the car and drive him to the mansion. It was hard because Ed was a wreck. He sat there in his crumpled suit, shaking as he nervously looked about as they drove towards the mansion. He had been given shock therapy and countless meds to get his disorder under control, but nothing could take away the fear of what might happen when he faced the wrath of Oswald. And while Ed sat there terrified, Josh had to do Jax Sterling's job, staying cold and calm and showing no sympathy to the man who had almost brought down the underworld because he killed his mistress.

“_Please.... tell me, is... is Oswald planning to kill me? I have kids, Josh, I need to know!”_

Ed had looked at him sharply, blinking away tears as they drove on towards the road that led to the mansion. Josh kept watching that road, inwardly he felt a degree of pity for Ed, who was a wreck and terrified of what was to come. He had been through hell this past week and now, he believed he was going to die.

“I was asked to take you to Mr Penguin,” Josh stated, “That's all I know, I Ed. The rest, is up to Mr Penguin.”

Ed was quietly sobbing. Josh reached the gates and the guards who stood there stepped aside as the car rolled in. Josh parked outside the house and switched off the engine, staying mindful of the time. Oswald didn't want Molly to see Ed turn up here looking like a wreck. She had left for the school run, then she was going shopping, sadly, to buy a dress for April's funeral. Oswald had told him, be quick, bring him inside, and then _I_ shall deal with him...

“Get out of the car, Ed,” Josh ordered.

It was Julian who opened the door. He looked at Ed, who stood there shaking, then stepped back and Josh led him inside.

“Oswald's in his study, he said to send him in,” Julian told him, and Josh thanked him, then led the way to the study, keeping a firm grip on Ed's arm as he walked him towards the door.

What Ed had done – and almost done to the unity pact – was clearly enough to cancel out any fondness the two men had shared years before. Josh could see it in a glance: _Ed knew there was a huge possibility that he might not be_ _leaving this place alive. He had done something so serious that Oswald would most certainly consider having him killed for it..._

Josh knocked.

“Come in,” Oswald said quietly.

Josh opened the door as Ed just stood there. Josh gave him a small shove and Ed stumbled into the room. Closing the door behind them, Josh stood back as Ed looked tearfully at Oswald, who was sitting in a comfortable chair by the fireplace. He had a look in his eyes of purest rage and Josh knew if he was able to get up - which he wasn't, because of his knee – he probably would have lashed out at Ed, because he was still fuming over the damage almost done to the underworld's role in ruling the city. Josh noticed Oswald had left his cane leaning against the side of the seat, giving the illusion that he was well enough to stand up. Clearly, if Ed did get out of this alive, Oswald didn't want him leaving here thinking he was less than indestructible.

“Nothing to say for yourself, Ed?” Oswald asked in a low voice filled with the kind of rage that matched the fury in his eyes, “You killed Beth Crane! She was known to support the underworld and worked tirelessly for prison reform – and you_ killed _her, you idiot!”

Ed fell to his knees sobbing. He crawled the short distance to Oswald's chair, tears streaking his face as he trembled.

“_I... was weak, I was stupid... and... and Beth... I know it was wrong, I should have left her alone! You told me to leave her alone! But I was weak, I couldn't stay away...and then she.. she said she was going to call a press conference!” fear sparked in his eyes, “She was going to tell the whole city about us! Riddler shut her up, permanently... It wasn't ME - it was HIM!”_

He sobbed again, grasped Oswald's hand and kissed his ring.

“Please don't kill me, _please!_ I love my wife -”

“_You should have thought of your wife before you fucked Beth!”_ Oswald said sharply, then he glanced to Josh.

“Put a gun to his head.”

Josh didn't think, he just obeyed. If he had thought about it, there would have been room for doubt, and then hesitation, which would have cost him his job. He was doing Jax Sterling's work today, and if Mr Penguin said use a gun, he would use that gun. But this wasn't some stranger, one named an enemy of the pact, or a threat to the city – this was Ed, until recently a close colleague of Oswald's. Josh _knew _him. And _that _was too much to think about as he drew his weapon and pressed it to the back of Nygma's head. Oswald gripped the arm rests of the chair as he leaned in closer.

“You could have shattered the unity pact if it was discovered that my senior representative had killed Miss Crane! You could have destroyed the reputation of trust we have built up with the city! It could have cost us everything, there could have been a war over this – and all because you couldn't keep it zipped in your pants? You _must_ have known Riddler could easily step in. You were not on your meds when you killed her!”

Ed sobbed harder as he trembled.

“Please forgive me... I don't want to die – I have kids, Oswald!_ Kids_, just like you do!”

“And you should have considered your children before you set off on course to disaster,” Oswald said coldly, “Josh is waiting for me to tell him to pull the trigger. I'm still considering if I should do that.”

“I won't fail you again!” Ed wept, “Please, please Oswald, don't kill me! Just let me live, I'll do _anything _you say!”

Oswald looked at Josh.

“Step back,” he ordered and Josh took a step back and lowered his weapon, feeling hugely relieved that Oswald was not going to ask him to shoot Ed. He put his gun in its holster and looked on as Oswald spoke again.

“Fortunately for you, Ed, I was able to cover up Beth's murder. And your stay in Arkham seems to have got everything nicely under control again...I see no trace of Riddler in your eyes, only a desperate need to survive this. And I do believe you have learned your lesson. _Get off your knees!_”

Ed got up and wiped his eyes, looking nervously at Oswald.

“I'll do anything to make it up to you, Oswald! Just tell me what you want, I'll do it!”

“Oh yes,” Oswald replied icily, “You_ will_ do exactly as I say, you can be very sure of that. You will tell no one where you have been this past week, or why you were sent there. _If you tell Lee the truth about Beth and the cover up, your kids will be orphans by the end of the week._ I will silence _anyone_ who talks and risks the unity of this city!”

Ed had stopped shaking, he stood there, pale and uneasy as he nodded.

“Yes, Oswald. I understand clearly and I'll never speak of it to anyone.”

Oswald reached for his drink on the table, paused to sip it and looked back at Ed once more.

“I'm sure Arkham was very difficult for you.”

“It was.”

“And you never want to be put back there again.”

“I never want to see that place again!” Ed took in a sharp breath, fighting off a wave of panic, “I have _so_ many bad memories of that place from the old days! That asylum is my idea of hell!”

A brief smile played about his lips, then Oswald spoke again.

“And that is _exactly_ why I'm giving you a new role serving the underworld,” he said, “I told the city representatives I would find a replacement governor to run the asylum from within my own circle..._ And I've appointed you_. Sorry you don't like the place, but you'll be there for eight hours a day, for the rest of your life, Ed. You will be running the place. And this is _not_ negotiable.”

Ed's face paled further as the thought of it pushed him to the brink of an anxiety attack.

“But... but I can't go in there again! That place, the walls, the sounds, the smell...._ I get flashbacks!_”

“I know,” Oswald replied, taking another sip of his scotch, “And that's precisely why I gave you the job. Take the consequences of your actions, Ed! Be thankful I let you walk out of here alive.”

Ed stared at him, he was still reeling from the horror that had run cold in his veins at the thought of going to back to the asylum. When Beth was alive, he used to go in the back way and straight up to the staff quarters – but he couldn't do that now. Lee wouldn't let him out of her sight once he got home – he would have to work in the office in the main building, in the heart of the asylum, every single day, bombarded by bad memories of his times spent there as an inmate... But Oswald's word was final.

“I'm waiting for you to thank me.”

Ed nodded.

“Thank you, Oswald,” he said in a hushed voice, and Oswald held out his hand. As Ed gripped it to shake on the deal his hand felt wet and cold as he trembled again.

“You can take Mr Nygma home now, Josh, said Oswald, “But leave him at a distance from the house, my people have sworn they know nothing of his whereabouts and it has to stay that way.”

“What will I tell Lee?” Ed asked in alarm.

Oswald laughed coldly as he gave a shrug.

“That's_ your _problem, Edward!”

Then he poured another drink as Josh opened up the door and told Ed to follow him. Ed left the study and Josh closed the door behind him. Nygma looked in a real state again as they left the house and headed over to the car – but this time, he wasn't scared for his life. He was worried about what to say to his wife, he needed to think up a reason that would cover him being missing for a whole week...

They drove away in silence.

Josh stopped the car at a distance from the street where Ed lived, and as soon as he was out of the car he drove away, feeling thankful he had not been asked to shoot him. Josh didn't doubt he would have followed the order if Oswald had given it, but it would have been hard to live with, despite what Ed had almost done to the Gotham city unity pact. At times like this, he wished Jax would return to work. But it was too soon, April's funeral was a week away...

Later on that afternoon, going home to Selina was sweet relief. But it was still on his mind, the thought that he had pressed a gun to Ed's head, and had come close to pulling the trigger. Then Josh thought about what Oswald had said, that if Ed talked, and Lee found out, the kids would be orphans:

_Would he have sent him over there to kill them both?_

_Maybe, maybe not... _

Oswald had other people he could easily employ to carry out a hit. But Josh didn't doubt this was the kind of job Jax was sometimes handed. He hadn't worked his way up to be General easily, now Josh was starting to see exactly what had been required for Jax to earn his position of such trust. It wasn't easy, doing this job. But he had got through another day, and the hardest part was hiding the worst of it from Selina – something he was getting used to more and more each day, because that was the only way he could handle this, keeping her out of danger by telling her nothing...

April's funeral was held a week later, it was a grand affair attended by many underworld figures, and as they gathered about the graveside and Molly looked across it, she glared at Jim Gordon as she recalled how he had pressured April into revealing Ivy Pepper's whereabouts. Jim looked back at her solemnly, and she decided, out of respect to April, not to verbally rip him a new arsehole for having the nerve to show up after what he had done. River sobbed throughout the service as Victor kept a protective arm around her. Oswald blinked away tears and looked over at Jax, who stood with baby Alicia in his arms, one glance could tell he was a broken man.

When the service was over, Oswald beckoned to him to come over, and as he sat in the wheelchair, he looked up at him and spoke quietly.

“You are a part of this family, Jax,” he reminded him, “The role of General is still yours when you decide to return – but for now, take time to come to terms with your loss. Spend time with your daughter. And please remember, your family is only a phone call away. _I_ am only a phone call away.”

Jax nodded as he fought back tears.

“Thank you Oswald,” he said in a hushed voice, and then Jax went over to join Molly and Julian as they spoke with Victor and tearful River.

Jax glanced back at the graveside, then he placed Alicia in River's arms. As she held her, she managed a faint smile.

“You look just like her,” she said softly, “I didn't know your Mommy when she was a baby. I adopted her when she was eleven years old – I was little more than a kid myself. But my Dad helped me to be a parent to her, and I'm going to be here for you all the time...” she looked to Jax, “I will help you with her, Jax. I know you have a job to go back to eventually, and you will need help.

“We will both help,” Victor added, “We want to be there for Alicia.”

“Thank you,” Jax replied, “Of course I want all of her family in her life. I will be sure to bring her for many visits – to you and River, and to her Uncle Oswald.”

“You're not alone, Jax,” Oswald reminded him as Molly pushed his chair closer so he could join them.

Jax looked back at the graveside and the sea of flowers that surrounded it as his heart ached sharply.

“My April is gone,” he replied sadly, “I don't doubt, in many ways, I will always be alone now.”

Two weeks after April's funeral, Oswald made arrangements to do some interviews about his three way relationship. The newspaper that covered the story of Julian's real identity, and the love story shared between Mr and Mrs Cobblepot and Mr Lambrick, was beautifully told by the Gotham Herald, a paper that supported the unity pact. Then they did a photo shoot together for an interview with a glossy magazine. It was all well received, with the story of Julian's rescue from his terrible fate and his years of recovery under Oswald's protection mixed in with the tale of how Julian fell in love with Mr Penguin and his wife, reading like the plot of a love story. To an open minded city like Gotham, their three way love story was like a fairytale.

And while the city was entranced by Oswald's revelation regarding his private life, Oswald made other plans. Now was the perfect time to make a move on Ivy's release and hope for minimum public outcry. Oswald was yet to tell Josh and Selina their lover was finally getting the help she needed. Instead, he started the process first before breaking the good news, knowing it was the best time to do it, even though there was still a risk of those who opposed the pact stirring trouble in the city over his decision, it was a gamble, but this was political and as far as Oswald was concerned, all political moves carried a calculated risk:

_He made a call to Harvey Dent to get the paperwork moving._

_Now there was no going back._

_Ivy Pepper was soon to walk free..._


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Ivy would be the last to know about her impending release. When Oswald told Josh, he broke the news over the phone while he was at home with Selina – and gave him a stern reminder this still meant no contact with Ivy until she walked free. Everything had to be handled a certain way.

It took several weeks to push the paperwork through.

In all that time, the media had a reporting ban on Arkham Asylum and anything related to its inmates. All Oswald had to do was go to Harvey's office once the final papers were ready, and then add his signature. Once it was stamped with the seal of the underworld, Ivy was free - but would abide by conditions set out by Oswald, and he had thought those through very carefully indeed. So far, everything was going to plan, and now the nightmare of Jeremiah tormenting his family was behind them, Oswald hoped their lives would go on worry-free.

_But he was wrong._

_Someone was about to receive some devastating news..._

Molly's baby bump was starting to show nicely. So was Selina's, when she had come over to the house the night before, she and Molly had compared bumps, as Selina had laughed saying Molly made it all sound so easy, but she had been through three pregnancies before this one. Oswald and Josh had looked on as the two women talked about their pregnancies and then Julian had walked into the room. He was leaning lightly on a cane, still using one of Oswald's spares – because, he said, he didn't need it, but didn't want to be without it until he was sure he was strong enough. Oswald was walking again too, but slowly, and with difficulty. But life was improving once more, and he stayed optimistic.

_Then came the phone call from River that changed everything..._

It was morning, Oswald had just woken up, Molly had already got up for the kids and Julian had just finished getting dressed when he turned from the mirror and saw Oswald sit up in bed.

“Good morning, Ozzie,” he said fondly, and then he went over to him and kissed him fondly.

Now the three of them shared the main bedroom they felt even closer, and last night had been filled with shared kisses as Molly had gone under the covers, then Oswald had pulled them back, watching as she sucked Julian's cock. She had barely finished swallowing his come when Oswald had jerked so hard he thought it impossible to hold back as he called her his slut wife and then she had taken a mouthful from him, too. Sometimes it was wild, other times it was so beautiful he wanted to cry but always, it was an act of shared love.

“Morning, Julian,” Oswald said with a smile, then Julian handed him his robe and he put it on, made a move to get up and gave a hiss of pain because his knee was taking its time to heal.

“You stay there,” Julian told him, “Lie back and rest, I'll go downstairs and fetch your tea while Molly cooks breakfast.”

The pain eased up as Oswald straightened the covers and rested on top of the bed once more.

“Breakfast would be done by now if Penguin was home!” he remarked, “But I'm glad he's spending most of his time with Iris. I'm happy for them.”

“So am I,” Julian agreed, recalling the handful of times Iris had been over to the house since she and Penguin had got together. Molly had made an effort to be polite, trying to smooth over the way she had thrown her out over the time she had brought a gun into the house. By now, they were all used to the fact that Iris was seeing him, and they were happy together, too.

“I'll fetch your tea now,” Julian added, then he grabbed his cane and left the room.

Then Oswald's phone rang. It was River. He answered right away.

“Good morning River, how are you, my dear?”

Oswald couldn't help the tone of concern in his voice, there had been a few times she had called him, sounding distraught as she talked of her grief over April's loss. But she had just gone back to work, and when he had seen her on Sunday when the family had all dined together, she seemed to be coping at last.

“I'm getting through this, as usual. It's not about me, Dad,” River told him, “As you know, as I oversee all patient matters linked to your senior staff as entirely confidential, with no intervention from outside unless required... and I need to get hold of one of your employees but I can't seem to reach him. I tried his cell phone and his home number but I just got the answer phone. Do you have an alternative number for Jax Sterling?”

Oswald gave a sigh.

“Yes, down in my study... he's switched off his business phone and he diverts his calls and checks them later. As you know since April's death, he's been spending time with his daughter. I'm not expecting him to return to work just yet. If he's due for a routine medical I suggest you leave it for a while, River. Call him in a few weeks.”

There was a pause.

“_Dad, I can't do that. This is urgent.”_

Oswald felt a flicker of worry.

“What's this about?”

“I'd rather talk to Jax first.”

“And I consider Mr Sterling a friend as well as an employee, River! Also, I have the authority to be informed on all matters concerning my staff – especially those in trusted positions of power like Jax! Now, what is this about?”

River knew he was right. He had the power to request that staff information, and she was, by law, expected to provide it, because _that_ was how Oswald's authority worked. He knew _everything_ about those who worked for him...

“Jax came to me three months ago complaining of pain in the connecting area between his shoulder and the robotic arm,” she said.

Oswald recalled it at once.

“Oh yes, I thought he might need some fine tuning from you or Hugo – these robotic limbs are marvellous inventions, but they can cause discomfort.”

“Nothing needs adjusting,” River stated, “I took blood as a precaution and as you may know, testing for connective fluid leakage is intricate and takes weeks. I got the test results back this morning. Jax has connective fluid poisoning, he has to have the limb removed and then we have to wait for the fluid to activate in his system before treatment can begin. That could take weeks or years, but he's living with a time bomb.”

Oswald almost dropped the phone. He took in a sharp breath, blinking away tears as he recalled this was the one condition those who had undergone cyborg work feared the most : the fluid that connected the human to machine parts and made the connections fire up carried a toxin, harmless in its proper place, but deadly if it leaked... It was a painful condition and the treatment was agonising. Jax would have to wait for the fluid to activate in his body before it could be counteracted. River didn't know how long that would take. No one knew...

“I'd better fetch that number for you,” he said as he fought back tears, “Jax has a second cell phone, he's kept that one switched on for personal use... the number is downstairs.”

Just then Julian returned with his morning tea and set it down next to the bed.

“What's wrong?” he asked, seeing tears in Oswald's eyes.

“Julian, please go to my study and fetch my phone book,” Oswald said, “It's urgent.”

Julian looked at him in alarm.  
“What's happened? Why are you crying?”

“Just _do_ it, please!

“Okay, don't yell at me!”

Julian left the room.

Oswald drew in a slow breath, found his voice once more and spoke to his daughter.

“Julian's fetching the number for you.... Oh, this is terrible... How is he going to cope, with his health failing and the baby to look after?”  
“We will all be there for him as much as we can,” River reminded him, “I saw him two days ago, I stopped by to visit and he seemed fine. He probably feels fine, too. This thing sleeps, it doesn't make itself known until it's taken hold.”

Oswald started to think back.

“When I was sick, that was an industrial poison.”

“Yes, but where there are similarities, it's not the same. There is a treatment that can cure his condition, but it's going to be a hard process and I can't assure you that he will make it through. I'm sorry, Dad. But maybe you can support him through this.”

“I fully intend to!” Oswald assured her.

Then Julian returned with his phone book and Oswald gave River his number. As he ended the call, Molly came into the room after hurrying up the stairs. Julian had told her Oswald was upset and needed his phone book, and her first thoughts had been, _underworld trouble_.

“What's wrong, love?” she asked as concern reflected in her gaze.

Oswald blinked away tears.

“Jax is sick,” he replied, “That damned robotic arm, connective fluid poisoning. We could lose him, I could lose my General and my close friend!”

“Oh no!”

Molly hugged him, then as she pulled back she saw deep distress in his eyes as he spoke again.

“What about Alicia? She's already lost her mother!”

Then his phone rang again. He wanted to throw it across the room, seeing it was business, but the call was from Harvey Dent, so he took a deep breath, focussing on the matter at hand.

Harvey told him to stop by the office and sign the papers.

Ivy would be free by 5pm...

Josh was standing in a big greenhouse, it had been set up in a wooded area just outside the city. There were guards posted at the gates, the fencing was electrified and this was where Ivy's surviving plants that had been taken by the city for study, had ended up. Now Oswald had the red tape slashed and Ivy's release imminent the city, in the interests of maintaining good relations between their two halves of ruling power, had given the territory over to Oswald, as he had given reassurance that his people would ensure Miss Pepper's experiments – which he assured them would be of benefit to the city with his guidance – would not turn into a threat.

Josh had just over seen the transfer of all of the plants that had been in the lab, back to the greenhouse. Now the largest were in the soil and the smaller plants were in pots, and placed in a separate area. And most importantly, the staff tasked with moving the plants had gone home.

_Which was great news for Josh._

_He was all alone in the greenhouse. _

_All alone with all of Ivy's plants – including the Licker plants!_

He dashed to the doorway, watched as the last of the vehicles drove away, then he closed the door and locked it, hurried back over to a corner of the greenhouse and smiled as excitement shone in his eyes as he set his sights on a medium sized licker plant that slumbered in the soil with its petals closed and head drooping.

“Hey, wake up!” he said, as his hands flew to his belt.

He tugged down his pants and underwear in a quick movement, then took his phone from his pocket just as the head of the plant raised and started sniff the air, then it leaned closer and he pushed his ass towards it and placed a hand on a metal pole that ran from ground to ceiling to steady himself. He hit the button, video calling Selina.

“What's going on?” she asked as she saw him, bent over with his ass in the air and…. _Was that a Licker plant leaning in behind him?_

“Oh my god! “ she exclaimed, then she giggled, “Show me!” she said as her eyes lit up at the thrill of it all.

The plant started to lap at his ass. He swung the camera around, heard her saying _Closer!_ But his aim was unsteady because that plant was sliding its tongue deep inside, its roots were creaking as it started to tongue fuck him from behind and its tongue was swelling as the plant fed on his arousal. He heard her say, _Keep the camera still!_ And he swung it back around to his face, flushed as his eyes went wider.

“_I can't, it's fucking me too hard!”_

“_Show me again!”_

“_I'm trying to... oh, fuck yes!”_

The tongue seemed to widen, spreading him as it darted in and out. He was panting as he put the phone behind him, feeling petals brush the back of his hand as the tongue did its work.

It went deeper still, hitting the right spot over and over as Josh gave a yell and held on to the pole to keep his balance as he shot come on to the floor of the green house.

“Stop, stop...”

He pulled away from the plant, just as he raised a hand to film it sniffing at the air. Its tongue darted out quick as a frog catching a fly, dashing the phone from his hand, it fell to the floor and then the unthinkable happened:

_It whipped up the come from the floor, and the phone, and flicked it back into its bulbous head, and swallowed the lot._

“_No!” _Josh exclaimed as he stood there, watching it swallow and chew and swallow again.

He glared at the plant as he tugged up his clothing and pulled up his zip.

“It was good while it lasted. Thanks..._Now give me back my phone!_”

The plant's head bobbed, then it belched, and out flew his phone, covered with goo, landing with a splat on the floor.

“Ugh...” Josh whipped a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the phone, as the screen lit up again. At first he got no picture, all he heard was Selina's laughter.

“Oh no... that was_ too_ funny!”

“_That thing ate my phone!”_ Josh exclaimed.

Selina's face came back to the screen, and she was wiping away tears of laughter.

“All I saw was this _long tongue_... and then.... “ she laughed again, “It _swallowed_ the phone and everything went dark!”

She laughed again as Josh started to smile.

“At least the phone's okay – I can't lose this phone, it's for work! And I have to get out of here and call Oswald and tell him the plants are in place.”

Selina giggled again.

“Don't tell him you fucked the plant and it swallowed the phone... Imagine the look on his face if you said that!”

Josh laughed too.

“I don't want to think about that! He'd fire me!”

“I heard that plant belch as it threw the phone back up!” Selina was still laughing.

“And it's still sticky,” Josh complained, and Selina laughed harder.

Then Josh told her he would be home later, and as he ended the call she was still giggling on the other end of the phone. Then he made the call to Oswald, left the green house, locked the place up and headed back to his car, knowing he would never forget this day or the tale of how he almost lost his phone due to sex with one of Poison Ivy's plants...

Molly drove Oswald to meet with Harvey. And then she had to help him into the building and over to the elevator and up to the top floor, because Oswald insisted on leaning on his cane all the way, and he was in pain.

“It's nothing a drink won't fix,” he told her as she kept her arm around him and he braced himself for more pain as he stepped out and they headed over to the door of Harvey's office.

“I thought River left you pain relief! You've got two bottles of pills indoors you haven't opened!” Molly reminded him.

“That's because whiskey works so much better than pills!” Oswald replied.

Then they went in through the open door to the waiting area, where Harvey's secretary Carol was usually at her desk. But the desk was empty and as Molly led Oswald over to the seating area, they both looked to the open doorway that led to Dent's office, hearing Carol speaking angrily:

“_I've had enough of you, Harvey Dent!”_ she fumed, _“I asked you about a pay rise... and you just decided it on the flip of a coin!”_

“And the answer was no,” Harvey replied.

“_You used your double sided coin!” _she yelled.

“It was a fair decision by MY rules!” Harvey protested.

“No,” Carol said, “I've had enough, Harvey! I'm gone. Find yourself a new secretary.”

And she walked out of the office, then she saw Oswald sitting down with Molly's help as he gave a hiss of pain.

“Mr Cobblepot,” she said, “I know what you need for that...” she left the room as Oswald glanced at Molly.

“I can't believe she just quit! She used to work me years ago, until Harvey offered her a place here - she wanted to work in law... Thank you SO much, Carol!” Oswald smiled warmly as Carol returned, handing him a glass of scotch.

“How are you, I heard you've had trouble with your leg?”

“I'm okay,” Oswald replied, taking a sip of his drink, “And this is certainly helping! Did you just quit your job? I couldn't help overhearing.”

“Yes, I did,” she confirmed, “Please let me know if you have any vacancies coming up, I'd be happy to grab at the chance,” she added, then she picked up her bag and her jacket and walked out.

As she left, Oswald was already thinking about a possible job for Carol. He had known the slim, short haired brunette for many years, and he knew she was a reliable person, and a kind person, too.

“Depending on what she thinks about the suggestion, maybe Jax could use some full time help... he's all alone with Alicia and now he has health issues to handle too. I'm sure if I suggested a housekeeper to him, who can also help out with his daughter, he would find that acceptable. I know Carol's great with kids, she's helped out a few times with staff member's children. She also had a background in nursing before she moved to the city. She would be perfect to assist Jax.”

“If she wants to,” Molly reminded him.

“And if he agrees to the suggestion,” Oswald replied.

Then Harvey left his office, he strode out in a suit in two colours, one garish that matched the scarred side of his face and the other a sombre dark grey, to go with the undamaged half of his features.

“Oswald!” he said brightly, “The papers are ready for your signature, I already stamped the seal to save time. And thank you for paying in full in advance. I do love a big fat pay cheque!”

Then he looked around at the desk, and saw Carol was gone.

“Oh,” he remarked, “Looks like I'll have to find a new secretary.... Ah well, there's always someone in need of a job who won't demand a pay rise!”

Molly shook her head as she looked at Harvey.

“You are one tight arsed bastard, Harvey Dent! That's the only thing I can say rings true about both your faces – _both_ sides are bloody mean with money! Carol was a reliable secretary, she was trustworthy, too! Oswald's known her for years! I can't believe you let her go like that! She only wanted a pay rise! I'm surprised your wallet doesn't creak when you bloody open it! ”

“For the record,” Oswald said, leaning on his cane as he got up, “I would have given her that pay rise. Loyalty is hard to come by, Harvey. And if you find a secretary to replace her who is less than trustworthy, I shall be taking my business elsewhere.”

Molly had got up too.

“Along with his fat pay cheques,” she reminded him, and Harvey winced at the thought.

“Let's get business concluded, Oswald,” he said, and led him into the office as Molly waited outside, where she looked out the window and saw Carol get into her car and drive away, as she thought about what Oswald had said – maybe Carol would be a great choice to help out, _if_ Jax wanted the help and she was willing to take on the job...

Jax Sterling had been smiling as he opened the front door to River, she had said she wanted to discuss his test results and he had invited her over to see Alicia. She had let him make tea while she held the baby – who looked more like April every day. Jax set the tea down, took Alicia upstairs to settle for a nap, then he had returned and sat down and smiled warmly, asking what this was about, and did this mean he needed some minor wiring repair to the arm?

_She had told him everything, explaining carefully._

Jax had taken a slow breath, briefly closing his eyes as he heard her say she was sorry, but she didn't know when the toxin would activate, but he could be sure that some day it would. It could be up to five years before it happened. And he knew the treatment would be difficult, and there were no guarantees he would survive... Jax thought of Alicia as she explained, then he held back his tears and forced a polite smile.

“Well, I'm sure when the time comes, you will be able to help me, River.”

He poured her some tea and then sat back, pausing for thought as he ran his fingers through silky dark hair that fell in a neat side parting. He usually had it combed back for work, but he wasn't dressed formally today, he sat there in jeans and a pale shirt and as he thought about her diagnosis, he took in a shaken breath.

“I should be worried for me, but I keep thinking about my daughter... This could mean I won't live to see her grow up... She won't have her mother or father... I can't give in to this, River! I have to fight it!”

“And you will have that chance,” she assured him, “But it could be a few years before it activates. It can't be treated while it's dormant. But you _will_ have to come to the clinic to have the arm removed and the internal wiring taken out. That's a big procedure and will take around six weeks recovery time. And I advise you to do that as soon as possible – the sooner we remove the wiring, the sooner we cut off the leakage and prevent further toxins from invading your bloodstream.”

Jax knew he was shaking as he nodded in agreement.

“Yes, of course, River. That makes sense to me... I suppose I should think about making arrangements for Alicia...”

“Victor and I will help out as much as we can,” she assured him, “But I will personally oversee the procedure to remove the wiring, and you need to remember this will be major surgery. It's a lot to go through and recover from, and when it's over, and you're back on your feet, you still have the toxin to deal with and that issue could make itself known at any time. I know this sounds very difficult and a lot to face, but you won't be alone. We will all support you, the whole of my - _of our_ \- family, Jax. And you can be sure I'll do everything I can to keep you alive. I couldn't save my daughter, but I'm going to fight damned hard to save her husband, I promise you that!”

River got up and leaned over him, giving him a hug as Jax felt his eyes sting with tears as he hugged her tightly.

“Thank you, River,” he replied as she let go, “As you said, I'm family. That thought brings me great comfort at this time.”

Jax looked devastated, he was trying not the show it, but it was there in his dark eyes.

“You will never be alone with this,” she vowed again, “And by the way, I told Oswald. I'm sorry, but I needed your number, it was urgent - and as your boss and head of the underworld, he had a right to know why. He was very upset when I explained. And he will support you all the way with this, Jax. My Dad wants to help.”

Jax was still feeling the shock of news that felt like a death sentence. He couldn't find the energy to even be slightly annoyed that River had told Oswald before coming over here. His mind was still on a future he may or may not have, and worries for his baby daughter, who might not have him around for much longer.

“I am thankful for his help,” Jax replied, “And for yours - for all of the family being here for me. It means a lot.”

While River was comforting Jax, across town, Josh had no clue his close friend and colleague had received such terrible news. He and Selina were overjoyed as they stood back behind a wall of Oswald's men, and a press gathering were on the other side of it, waiting for Oswald to leave Arkham with Ivy Pepper... The media turn out had not been huge. This had been kept under wraps until the last minute, then Oswald had asked Josh to make phone calls only to pro unity newspapers and news channels. There wasn't a single journalist present who would write a scathing report on the release of Poison Ivy...

For Ivy, the news had come suddenly.

The cell door had opened and she was told she would be released within the hour. She was shaking and tearful as she prepared to leave, wearing a shimmering green dress that clung to her body like a second skin. She was taken up a corridor, then down a flight of stairs, and then a door was unlocked, and as she saw him standing at the end of the corridor beyond, looking chubby and immaculate in his suit, with his hair spiked as he leaned hard on his cane, she gave a sob.

“_Oswald!”_ she wept, and broke into a run, almost colliding with him, had he not put an arm out in time to catch her and pull her close.

She clung to him and cried, clutching at his coat like a frightened child as she pressed her face against it.

“Ivy,” Oswald said softly, “Hush, stop that weeping. You're free now!”

She raised her head from his shoulder as Oswald brushed a tear from her face, then he looked to an armed guard, snapping his fingers as he handed him his cane.

“Hold this for a moment,” he said, and he took off his coat and draped it around Ivy's shoulders.

“It's raining, my dear,” he said with a smile, and then that smile faded as Ed Nygma walked nervously down the corridor to meet them. One look at him told Oswald that clearly, Ed was still spooked by this place.

“The paperwork is all in order, sir,” he said as he joined them.

“Thank you Ed, and by the way, it's good to see you're enjoying your new job,” Oswald replied, as Ed took in a sharp breath and tensed, hating the reminder of why he was in here, running the place he hated most in the whole world.

“Shall we go?” Oswald asked Ivy, who nodded slowly.

Oswald snatched his cane back from the guard who stood nearby, then, keeping an arm around Ivy, he led her towards the main entrance. The doors opened up and they stepped out into the rain as one of Oswald's men put up and umbrella, shielding them both from the downpour as Oswald made his speech:  
“Today, I am very pleased to announce that the city of Gotham has agreed to the release of Ivy Pepper, into the custody and protection of her family, the underworld. Miss Pepper has given proof and assurance that her botanical pursuits of old are done with – she is now striving to create plants that will be of value and much good use to this great city of ours. All her work will be supervised and the people have my assurance none of Miss Pepper's experiments will cause any risk to human life.”

Pictures were taken, Ivy leaned against Oswald as she blinked away tears, clutching at his coat as it swamped her slender frame, and then Oswald put his arm around her and his men stepped forward, obscuring the view as Ivy was led away from the crowd and around the corner, where a car was waiting.

_And so were Josh and Selina._

“Ivy!” Selina said joyfully, and Ivy's jaw dropped as her eyes lit up with relief to see Selina, who now looked visibly pregnant, and Josh was there too, standing beside her. They had been waiting for her!

“_I've missed you both so much!”_

Ivy gave a sob of joy as Selina hugged her, then Josh did the same.

“_One more thing, Ivy...”_

As Oswald spoke, Ivy let go of Josh and turned back to him as Josh put an arm around Selina, pulling her closer under his umbrella as he leaned closer to shield Ivy too.

“Tomorrow, Josh will show you the new green house. Your remaining plants are there, and they are thriving.”

Ivy smiled fondly.

“Thank you so much, Oswald!”

Oswald's smile faded swiftly as his gaze cooled down to nothing less than ice as he lowered his voice, leaning in closer as he spoke again:

“_And IF you allow ANY of those plants to get out of control, if as much as one killer vine winds its way into the city, I will send Firefly in to torch your plants and you will NEVER be allowed to indulge in your botanical pursuits again, have I made myself clear?”_

There was a flicker of fear in Ivy's eyes as she nodded.

“Yes... yes, Oswald...perfectly clear.”

“Wonderful,” he replied as the ice left his gaze, “I can't allow any of my promises made to the city to be broken in any way. I'm glad you fully understand. And now I'll have my coat back, please.”

Ivy handed his coat back, and then the door to the car was opened up and Josh got in first, followed by Ivy, then Selina, and they drove away heading for home and a much longed for reunion, as Oswald limped back to his limo. He climbed in and as the door closed, he was relieved to be out of the damp and the rain that made his damaged joints ache, he was also glad the Ivy Pepper matter was over and done with, too.

“Take me home,” he told the driver, and the limo moved off at last as Oswald rested comfortably inside, looking forward to nothing more than going home to his family for a peaceful evening.

Josh and Selina were not planning a peaceful evening. Theirs was a passionate one, and it began as soon as the front door closed and the three of them were alone.

Selina took the lead, surprising Ivy with a kiss as she pushed her gently up against the wall. Josh stood there watching as he stripped off his jacket then his tie and started to open up his shirt. There was nothing hotter than seeing Selina take over Ivy so completely as she threw her head back making her long red hair shimmer as it caught the might, then her dress was up as Selina's hand slipped between her legs and she moaned as Josh watched his wife's fingers get sticky.

“Want some tiny cock?” Selina said with a smile, and she reached behind her without even looking, as if she had a sixth sense for it, and grasped Josh by the cock, as he stumbled forward and Ivy fell to her knees.

“I've missed this too!” Ivy murmured, her breath warm on the head of his cock, then she took it into her mouth as Selina got behind him.

“_Let's see if I can make you as wide as Ivy's Licker plants!”_ she whispered in his ear, and then wet fingers were thrusting in and out of his ass as Ivy sucked on his cock.

It was too much. It was_ better_ than too much, pleasure both ways from both women in his life who liked nothing better than to have him helplessly aroused, a toy for their satisfaction... As Selina drilled her fingers in again and opened them up, Josh felt his ass stretch easily, and widely and she heard him moan, so stretched a little more. Ivy sucked on him hard, and as he lost control, she sucked harder and Selina drove her fingers in again. He came yelling loudly, then he fell to his shaking knees as Ivy and Selina stood over him, sharing a lasting kiss.

“That was so good!” Ivy said softly as she embraced Selina.

“Welcome back, Ivy,” Selina told her, then she looked down at Josh as they stood over him.

“Josh? Your turn to say it?” Selina suggested as her eyes sparkled with the kind of joy that had been absent since Ivy's arrest.

Josh looked up, smiling at the two women in his life.

“Welcome home, Ivy!” he told her fondly.

Oswald had hoped for a quiet evening, but it didn't work out that way. Penguin had been caught in traffic and missed Ivy's release, and although the message had been passed to Ivy, he was impatient to see her, even though by now, he had called her and heard lots of giggling from Selina in the background and it sounded like they were having some kind of a party...

“I'll see you tomorrow morning, Penguin,” Ivy told him, “I'll be straight over to see you, but I have to rest tonight, I'm very tired – and I love you very much, my little dumpling!”

Those words had brought a smile to Penguin's round face, then he ended the call, as he sat in the front room with Molly and Oswald and Julian. Iris had just left the room and she returned with a glass of water and sat down on the sofa beside Penguin.

“You'll see her tomorrow. Nothing was announced until the last minute,” she reminded him.

“I had to do it that way,” Oswald explained, “It had to be handled swiftly and carefully.”

Penguin nodded in agreement, then he smiled again as he looked at Iris, and grasped her hand in his warm flipper.

“I can't wait to tell her the good news about the two of us - and while we are all here -”

“_No...”_ Iris looked at him nervously, but Penguin, in his enthusiasm, missed it.

“_I would like to tell you all that Iris is pregnant!”_

“Congratulations!” Molly said as Penguin smiled proudly.

“Thanks,” Iris added quietly, and then she looked away.

Molly had caught that. Clearly, this baby was unplanned and Iris wasn't excited about it – in fact she looked very worried indeed... Julian had noticed it too, and so had Oswald, but he swiftly spoke up, pretending he had not seen the look of uncertainty in her eyes.

“Well, that is a surprise. I'm guessing it was a surprise for you both, too! But these things happen. Molly and Julian didn't plan for a baby, but we're welcoming another little one. I'm sure Ivy will be very surprised, Penguin.”

Penguin shrugged.

“Ivy will be shocked I even went to the park with Felix, by myself, and no one bullied me. She's _so_ protective!”

Oswald's gaze reflected deepest love as he looked up at his mother's portrait, then back to Penguin.

“Mother was always protective to me,” he replied, “Ivy must love you very much indeed.”

Penguin paused for thought, touching the tips of his flippers together.

“I wonder who my _mother_ was?”

Molly exchanged a glance with Oswald and Julian as Iris turned her head, looking at him in surprise.

“I guess you'll never know,” she told him.

“I was made from Oswald's stolen DNA. He is my biological father. But_ who_ is my mother?”

Molly thought about it.

A theory ran through her mind, but she stayed silent as she felt an ache in her heart, guessing if she thought about it long enough, the clues were all there – and maybe there was the reason, too, why Penguin didn't know who else had been used to create him...

“It's exciting news, about the baby,” Molly said, changing the subject as she smiled warmly at Penguin, “I'm really happy for you – we all are.”

“Yes, we are,” Oswald agreed, and he glanced at Molly with a questioning look, and she conveyed one back to quickly say,_ Don't ask, not now._.. This was something she couldn't be sure about, not yet – but she had a theory and it seemed to make perfect sense...


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The next few days swung very quickly from joy to sadness, and for Josh, to worry for Jax. He broke the news by giving him a call from the clinic, and telling him that he was terribly sorry he would not be about much for the next few weeks.

_He had explained everything. _

_Josh didn't cry until he put the phone down. _

Jax underwent extensive surgery that same day, removing all wiring and transmitters implanted to make the arm work effectively. Every last wire was stripped out, leaving Jax, who had always looked so strong and powerful, very weak and fragile as he lay there after the surgery, his shoulder covered up by a dressing, the robotic arm gone forever. Oswald gave Josh permission to stay with him until he woke, saying he would be along to see him the next day, when he was awake and in better shape for visitors.

Ivy and Selina waited outside that room for three hours after Jax returned from the surgery, and when he woke up, Josh was at his bedside.

“You should have told me before,” Josh said to him, “I want to help you through this.”

Jax took in a slow breath, feeling sedated and far too weak to hold a conversation.

“I'm not through teaching you everything I know,” he whispered, “You already make me proud. But I'm going to make sure you're the best General Mr Penguin has ever employed.”

Josh felt a flicker of alarm:

_Was Jax suggesting he was going to die?_

He couldn't let him talk like that.

“I'm not doing your job forever!” Josh reminded him firmly, “You're coming back to work, Jax. As soon as you're over the surgery, you can have a regular prosthetic arm fitted and go back to work. I like being General – but I never want it at the price of you giving up.”

Jax gave a tired sigh.

“I'm not giving up, Josh. It could be five years...”he gave another sigh, “before they can eliminate the toxin... I'm so tired. I need rest...”

And he had slipped back into a deep sleep as Josh sat beside him, watching over him, worrying for his close friend. Eventually Ivy and Selina came back into the room, and Josh blinked away tears as Selina put her arm around him and gave him a hug.

“He had the wiring taken out, it was rough on him, but he will get over this. The toxin hasn't made him sick yet, he could live for a long time before that happens,” she said softly.

Josh knew she was right.

It wasn't easy, leaving Jax alone in that room, so weak after all he had been through. But Josh went home with his wife and Ivy, secure in the knowledge that Jax was being taken care of well by River and her staff.

After Josh left, Oswald called the clinic again, and River assured her father that Jax was recovering well. She felt sure he wouldn't be convinced until he had visited him, but right now, Jax needed to rest. Right now, Victor was taking time out from running the Lounge for Oswald, so he could stay home and look after Alicia while River was overseeing Jax's recovery. Over the next few days, they would take turns with Molly and Oswald to care for Alicia while her father recovered. But they needed a better arrangement. Oswald had mentioned to his daughter that Carol was looking for a job. River thought she was an excellent choice to help Jax and help out with the baby. But before anyone could suggest anything to Jax, he needed to start on the road to recovery, and that would take time.

For Carol, when the call came from Oswald and he suggested she work full time for Jax – if he was in agreement – the thought of working for Jax Sterling made Carol smile:

_Yes, she knew of Jax, she didn't know him as well as she had known Oswald back into the days when she had run his administration department, but she had seen Oswald's tall and heavily built General as he came into the office sometimes to pick up paperwork or enquire about ongoing tasks. She remembered him as an elegant dresser, well spoken too, like Oswald – and she didn't deny she had found herself attracted to him. Not that Jax ever would have known from the time he once waited for some paperwork and she placed coffee on the table with a polite smile. She had looked into his dark eyes and turned away with her head full of the kind of thoughts that made her realise she probably had a crush on the General... _

But Oswald had explained everything to her – Jax had been poisoned by his robotic implant, and the arm had been removed, it could be five years before the toxin showed up in his system. He was facing a long recovery from the surgery and then, an uncertain future. And with his poor wife so recently deceased, he needed help with the baby as much as he needed help with his recovery, if he was going to stand a chance of returning to work within the next few months.

Carol had already decided she wanted this job. And she would try _not _to think any kind of romantic thoughts about Jax, because he had just lost his wife, and now his health was bad. She wanted to take that job and see him recover and go back to work, and on the other side of things, the money was great, and Oswald had already suggested that she become a live in housekeeper. By the end of her stay with Jax, she would be able to afford a bigger apartment, and the money was much, _much_ better than she had ever earned working for the skinflint Harvey Dent...

It was a week later, when Carol met Jax.

Oswald had been to see him several times, and each day, he had seen slow improvements. Then he had mentioned the suggestion of a housekeeper, and told him all about Carol. Oswald had hesitated, wondering how Jax would take the suggestion. But he had smiled and readily agreed.

“I would greatly appreciate the help, and it means Alicia can return home to me sooner,” he told him. Then he paused, resting in bed, still wired to monitors and with his shoulder covered by a heavy dressing, “I called Harvey Dent today and amended my will. I have instructed, in the event of my death, that Alicia should be raised jointly by River and Victor – and you and Molly and Julian. I realise the toxin is yet to attack me, but it's best if I make plans that cover the worst.”

Oswald nodded, feeling a sharp ache in his heart at the thought of Jax losing this battle.

“Yes of course it's better to cover these things, just in case,” he had replied...

Now Oswald waited outside his room, while Carol went in to meet him for the first time. While she was in there, his phone rang. It was Harvey.

“Oswald,” he said, “I've just finished amending Jax Sterling's will – I just wanted to run it past you, to check you're in agreement with the terms -”

“I'm fully aware of the terms and I'm happy with it,” Oswald replied.

“Fine, so that's all done. I'll stop by and have him sign the papers in a week or two, when he's feeling up to it. And I'll charge my fee to his account today.”

“You will not!” Oswald said sharply, “You will charge the fee to _me_, Harvey!”

“Okay, I don't care who pays, as long as I get my money, I was going to charge the standard fee to him and then see what else I could scrape out of it to charge to you on top anyway, I'm sure there's extra administration fees somewhere,” he said brightly, “Catch you later, Oswald.”

As the call ended, Oswald glared down at the phone. He had already told Harvey that he would handle the finances for Jax – but Harvey had to go and try and make more money out of a situation like this one... He briefly recalled last Christmas, when they had a party at the mansion:

_Harvey had brought along a box of white wine – while Molly was unpacking it in the kitchen, one of Oswald's men had come in and shook his head._

“_You know where that wine came from?” he asked, “That was from Harvey's office party last year – it's cheap stuff the supermarket had on a two for one offer. I remember, I had to stop by and drop off some paperwork and he offered me a bottle because no one seemed to like it much.”_

“_You tight bastard, Harvey Dent,” Molly had quietly fumed..._

Then Oswald turned his thoughts back to the immediate situation. Carol had just gone into Jax's room. He hoped the two of them got along, because Jax really did need help when he returned home.

Just outside of the city, behind the electrified fence, the greenhouse was secure and Ivy felt happy once again to be spending time with her beloved creations. Although one of her Licker plants looked a little bigger than she remembered... _I bet Josh has been fucking it!_ she thought with a smile, making note to ask him about it when she returned to the city tomorrow. As she stood in the middle of the vast greenhouse, she looked upward, smiling as sunlight fell in, feeling as if every one of her plants wanted to reach out and wrap around her in greeting.

“I love you all so much,” she said, giving a sigh of satisfaction.

Then she heard a footfall and the rustle of leaves and turned her head sharply. This place was secure. No one could get in without her permission...

Except for an old friend, who could get in just about anywhere, with or without his crime fighting disguise...

“Bruce!” she said as she smiled brightly, and Bruce Wayne walked up to her, returned her smile and gave her a brief hug.

“So Oswald got you out of Arkham. I heard something about that – well, I thought it might be about that. Selina told me Oswald wanted to speak to Batman about something, then she called again and said there was no need for the meeting...Wow, this place looks great!”

As he spoke, he looked about the vast green house filled with all manner of strange and intriguing plants. Then he looked back at Ivy knowingly.

“I do need the truth, Ivy. Are any of these plants dangerous? I know Oswald said they're safe, but I need to hear it from you.”

Ivy looked into his eyes, as memories flooded her mind of the years they had known each other.

“There's nothing dangerous here,” she assured him, “Nothing that could harm anyone – unless it was misused, and that's not going to happen because the plants are staying here with me. I'm currently working on a flower remedy that can help boost the immune system and I'm also working on an anti ageing cream that's plant based. Stuff like that will make the city _like_ me, according to Oswald.”

“And he's right,” Bruce agreed.

Then his gaze shifted behind Ivy, over her shoulder to a large plant with roots poking out of the soil. It had wide green leaves and a white bulbous head that was closed as its head drooped, as if sleeping.

“What's that?” he asked.

Ivy glanced back at the plant, then amusement danced in her eyes.

“A Licker plant. It's a plant that feeds on hormonal changes – arousal, for example. It can also feed on bodily fluids and be sexually responsive. It's a horny little thing! I'm hoping a few years from now, its sap can be used to adjust hormone imbalance, it will be useful for menopausal women.”

Bruce looked back to the plant, then to Ivy.

“What do you mean, it's sexually responsive?”

She giggled.

“It has a tongue. It gives great oral, but I'm sure that's no threat outside of these walls to the city of Gotham!”

Bruce blinked, surprise registering in his gaze.

“Wow... that's... unusual!”

“It's damned good, too,” Ivy said, then she turned away.

“Here's what I'll do: Purely because it's you and we go back a long way, I'll go and fetch my paperwork, I'll gather it up and give you a copy of my projects, just so you know it's all safe - and I know Batman isn't coming by here to kick my ass any time soon!”

Bruce smiled.

“As if I'd do that to you!”

Ivy glanced back at him and smiled, then she walked away, heading for an office area next to her small laboratory at the side of the greenhouse.

Bruce looked to the Licker plant.

_This had to be the wildest thing he had ever heard of!_

_And the temptation as too great._

_She would be gone a while, he knew how scattered and disorganised Ivy was with paperwork... _

Bruce approached the plant with caution, and unzipped his fly.

“I feel like an experiment is in order...” he murmured.

And then his eyes went wide as the plant jerked it head. Its petals opened up and... it extended a _tongue_, flickering the tip towards his cock...

Bruce looked back towards the path that led to the office:

_No sign of Ivy._

“I'd better be quick.,..” he said as he chuckled, and he guided his cock towards the plant.

_He didn't need to do anything else._

The plant sucked in his hardening cock, and carried on sucking. The suction on the thing was incredible. Bruce gave a gasp, thrusting quickly. He couldn't get caught, not doing this with a _plant!_ He let the plant do the work, it was sucking him like the taste of him was nectar, and as he came sharply he gave a quiet gasp, then reached down to pull away.

His eyes went wide as _Oh, shit_ ran through his mind:  
_He was stuck._

The plant had suckled and then swirled his come around in its mouth and swallowed, and its head had dropped, sealing its mouth around his penis...

“I just remembered I had a spare set of notes already copied... _What the fuck, Bruce?_”

His face turned scarlet as he turned his head, standing there with his cock firmly lodged in the mouth of the dozing Licker plant.

Ivy marched over to him as anger sparked in her eyes.

“I leave you alone with my plant for five minutes and you're_ fucking_ it?”

“No,” Bruce said, “It's not like that, Ivy!”

She looked at him as amusement started to dance in her gaze.

“Okay, Bruce _Batman_ Wayne, what happened, then?”

Bruce thought quickly.

“I didn't realise my fly was partly unzipped and I was standing too close to the plant and it must have detected my scent, it suddenly lunged and my zip happened to come down -”

“Along with your underwear?”

“Yes, that too.,..”

“Bruce, you're lying!”

“Okay Ivy, I'm lying. _Please_ help me out here!”

“It licks. But never, _ever_, put your cock inside it!”

She gave the plant a sharp slap to the base of its head and it belched, releasing him at the same time. Bruce staggered back, wiped sticky goo from his clothing and hurriedly tugged up his zip.

“Sorry, it won't happen again.”

Ivy started to laugh.

“It's okay. I never saw a thing, Bruce. Just don't do it again!”

“I won't!”

He was still blushing.

“Here are my notes,” Ivy told him, pushing the file into his hand.

“Thanks, Ivy, I'll see you around,” Bruce replied, and he quickly left the greenhouse.

Ivy waited until he had gone, then she laughed again, knowing this would be a _great_ story to tell Selina and Josh tomorrow...

Back at the clinic, as Jax Sterling smiled warmly and shook Carol's hand, their gaze met and he instantly liked the softly spoken lady with kind eyes who had offered to be his housekeeper.

“It's nice to meet you, Carol.”

“Likewise, Jax,” Carol said as she sat at his bedside, “How are you feeling today?”

Jax briefly glanced down at the dressing that covered his shoulder, and felt very aware of his missing arm and the scars to his body that were exposed because the dressing needed changing frequently, and he still wasn't disconnected from all the monitors, so for now, his shirt was off and he hoped Carol wasn't put off by the sight of a chubby middle aged man covered in scars, with a large dressing over his shoulder, where his arm used to be.

“I realise I'm not a pleasant sight. I'm told the wound is healing well, but it will take time. I can't return to work for at least three months.”

Carol wasn't staring at his shoulder. She was looking into his dark eyes as she spoke again.

“I have nursing experience, and I really don't think this is too much to handle,” she assured him, “And I'm ready to move into the spare room as soon as you're able to return home, I can help you and take care of Alicia while you recover. And Oswald is paying my wages, he's taking care of everything.”

Jax smiled at the mention of his close friend.

“Oswald is a good friend,” he replied, “I owe him my life. He took me out of the gutter as a young man, he saved me from addiction and despair and I gave him my loyalty. I've been his General for more than twenty years now.”

“I worked for Oswald a few years back,” Carol told him, “And I made the mistake of being tempted into a position with Harvey Dent.”

“I'll bet the pay was less than satisfactory!” Jax said with a chuckle.

“Oh, he's so tight with his money!”! Carol exclaimed.

“Yes that sounds like Mr Dent,” Jax agreed, settling back comfortably against his pillows, “He loves making money but he hates spending it!”

“And Oswald is quite the opposite, a very generous man,” Carol added.

“Yes, he is, “Jax agreed, and then they started to talk about Oswald, as Carol recalled her years working for him, and Jax shared stories of his years as Oswald's General.

_They talked for a long time. _

Oswald came in and smiled at the sight of the two of them getting on so well. He asked if they wanted coffee, then left the room again. When he returned, they were still talking. Carol was listening as Jax talked fondly about his late wife, then Carol mentioned her partner of ten years, one of Oswald's men, who had fallen at the battle for the Monolith during the second war with Bane. Oswald left the room again and sat down outside as he checked his watch. Another hour passed by, then as he went back to the room, Carol was getting up to leave. She paused to fondly grasp Jax's hand, then she said she would see him soon, when he was ready to come home.

“So that's settled, then?” Oswald asked hopefully.

“Yes it is,” Jax replied, with a smile, “Carol is coming to stay the day before I return home. I'd be delighted to have her as my nurse and housekeeper. I don't doubt she will be excellent with Alicia, too.”

Oswald smiled warmly at Jax.

“You will be taken good care of, my friend.”

“I don't doubt that,” Jax agreed, “I'm sure I will be in very good hands,” he added, then he settled back against the softness of his pillows, feeling sure he would sleep well after they left, knowing the future – at least, the near future – was taken care of. He would be going home and so would Alicia, and they would be a family once more, with Carol's help.

_The weeks went by quickly._

Carol moved into the house when Jax returned home three weeks after the surgery, much earlier than River had expected. He had to rest in bed for the next few weeks, and Carol took excellent care of him, and baby Alicia too.

Oswald told Jax to take his time, Josh was covering for him and doing an excellent job, and he wanted to be sure he was ready to return to work. Jax agreed to come back six months post surgery, by then, he would be used to his new arm, which didn't have half the strength of his former robotic prosthetic, but at least it wouldn't put more poison into his body...

_The months passed by._

Molly was seven months pregnant by now, and every time the baby kicked and she grabbed Julian's hand and placed it on her belly, Oswald's heart filled with joy because Julian never lost that look of amazement that came to his face every time he felt his child move inside her. They knew the baby was a girl. They had decided to call her Lucy.

Selina was almost six months pregnant, and she was glowing with health and excitement and joy and every time Josh embraced his pregnant wife, he felt sure he was the luckiest man alive. They had decided on a name - the baby was a girl, and they would name her Maria. These days, with the greenhouse to care for and no reason to hide from the authorities, Ivy spent several days at time with her plants, but always returned home to spend time with Selina and Josh. She had promised to do the same when the baby was born, too.

Every Saturday Ivy visited Oswald, often, that was when she caught up with Penguin. He had been spending most of his time with Iris, and although Penguin had, at first, expected Ivy to be shocked at the big changes to his life, he had been pleasantly surprised to learn she was happy for him. She worried, but she always worried for him, and it didn't stop her being happy for him finding love, or the fact that he was going to be a father soon.

At least, he _hoped_ he was going to be a father.

He tried to persuade Iris to spend time with Molly because she was having a baby too, but Iris, after seeing their son on her twenty week scan, had developed even more doubts:

The little boy was big and round with flipper hands. They had been told he had the same birth defects as his father, and Iris had said more than once, _I'm not sure if we should have this baby, he's not normal, it's not fair on him..._

“But he's like me,” Penguin had reminded her.

Iris had looked at him doubtfully.

“You don't know how severe your defects were when they tried to speed up your growth,” she reminded him, “This baby could be slow to learn, too - he could struggle. He's certainly going to look different! Is that really fair on him?”

Hurt had reflected in Penguin's eyes.

“He's like me,” he said again, “He's our baby, Iris!”

“Like you and who else? You don't even know who your mother was!”

“Maybe Ivy might be able to help me find her, we could talk to her about what went wrong with me… maybe that would help,” Penguin suggested.

But Iris remained uncertain, as she looked again at the scan of her clearly different child and felt desperately unsure if having this child was the right thing to do...

_It was a Sunday, and it was raining heavily. _

River had just stopped by to see her Dad, and she was downstairs with Oswald in the front room while Felix played upstairs in the nursery and Cain supervised his baby brother. Luna was staying with Fish Mommy for the weekend. Julian had just jogged on the treadmill and was having a rest on his bed as he planned for the day when he would be going for a run around the estate every day. The more he did, the more he was able to do. He didn't really need his cane any more, and he wanted it to stay that way.

It was just an ordinary weekend, but _that_ was about to change...

“_For fucks sake!” _Molly muttered as she stood there on the upper floor, a look of annoyance in her eyes as she looked up at the object lodged in the chandelier that hung near the balcony.

“Cain!” she called down, “Get up here, son!”

“Okay Mom, I'm coming!” he called back.

Cain ran up the stairs, then he stopped abruptly in the upper hall as Molly looked up to the chandelier, and to the remote control plane that was lodged above it.

“How did _that_ get there?” she demanded.

“Oh that...” Cain said, making a bad job of pretending he had just recalled it, “I flew it into the chandelier by accident about three weeks ago.”

“And you said nothing because?”

“Dad told me no flying it in the house, it's a garden toy.”

“And why did he tell you that, Cain?” she asked.

“Because I keep flying it into the chandelier,” Cain replied with a shrug.

Molly gave a sigh, then she saw a wooden step ladder closed against a wall nearby. It was the kind that opened up in V shape and would take her up high enough to reach for the plane. It wasn't heavy, and she slid it across from the wall to the the place near the balcony, where above, the chandelier caught the light as it came in from the window.

“Maybe you shouldn't get it,” Cain said as she opened up the ladder.

Molly looked at him in surprise.

“Cain, being pregnant doesn't mean I can't do anything! I've only got to go up a few steps and reach for it!”

Molly climbed the ladder. She felt fine, and the plane was within easy reach. She held on to the rung above and raised her arm, her fingers touching the wing of the plane. And something snapped as the ladder collapsed and she fell, hitting the balcony as the blow to her shoulder cut off a scream. She knew she was still falling, and hitting the ground floor with a crack was the last thing she remembered as the world turned dark.

“_MOM!”_ Cain screamed, and Julian hurried out of his room, looked in alarm at the broken ladder, then he saw the look on Cain's face, tearful, terrified.

“She fell!” he sobbed.

“_MOLLY?” _Julian grabbed hold of the stair rail and hurried down, feeling panic building as he saw Molly on the floor:

_She had fallen from the balcony?_

Oswald limped quickly to her side, looking on in horror as River knelt beside her and checked her over. Molly wasn't responsive, and as she looked up at Oswald, as he begged her to do something, she heard sobbing and looked back to see Julian fall to his knees beside her.

“_Molly!”_ he yelled, and as he reached for her, River grasped his wrists, pushing him back.

“No, don't touch her, she's badly hurt! I need to get her transported to the clinic.”

She got up and reached for her phone.

“How bad is it?” Oswald's voice was hushed and his face was streaked with tears.

“Will the baby be okay?” Julian demanded, “Just tell us they're both okay!”

River shook her head.

“Molly landed on her wides, Julian. Right now we have to hope Molly will make it – she's got internal bleeding...” she looked from her Dad and back to Julian, “I'm sorry, but the baby won't survive this.”

Then she hurriedly arranged for a paramedic vehicle to take Molly to the clinic. Oswald looked at Julian and saw the same fear in his eyes that matched his own.

“_We can't lose her!” _Julian said as his voice choked with tears, _“And that's my baby... my baby can't die!”_

Oswald reached for him, pulling him into a tight embrace as he sobbed and then looked down at Molly, pale and motionless as River stayed at her side as she waited for help to arrive.

“_Please hold on, Molly,”_ he whispered as he felt as if his heart had just broken.

Just then the front door opened and Penguin waddled in alone.

“I thought I'd come home and see you all - what's happened?” he hurried over to join River, looking down in dismay at Molly as his flippers opened wide and he gave a gasp.

“_Someone help her!”_

“Don't touch her, she has severe injuries,” River told him, “She fell from the balcony... what was she doing up there?”

Cain had watched everything unfold. Now he stood at the bottom of the stairs, sobbing as he looked to the adults and then to his mother on the floor.

“_It was my fault!”_ he said, giving a harder sob.

“It was an accident,”Julian added quickly, “Penguin, take care of him, watch him and Felix for us – we need to go to the clinic with Molly.”

Just then Felix wandered out into the hallway.

“Mama?” he said and toddled over to Molly, looking down at her with confusion in his eyes.

“Go with Penguin,” Oswald told him, and as Felix toddled over to him, he saw Cain was hugging Penguin tightly as he sobbed hard.

Then the paramedics arrived.

River went in the ambulance with Molly and Oswald took his car. He and Julian drove to the clinic in silence, both fearing bad news when they got there...

Julian had realised after more than half an hour sitting in a waiting area that he had left the house without his cane – for the first time since he had got back on his feet. He didn't think he was in any pain, nor did he feel weak – that numb sensation that had washed over him along with a vague trembling was the shock hitting him, he still couldn't take it in that Molly could die, and the baby probably wouldn't make it...

“Oswald.”

As Julian said his name, Oswald remained silent, looking to the clock on the wall and then to the floor.

“I really can't see a life without Molly,” he said finally, “And all this happened because Cain flew his fucking plane into the chandelier?”

He looked up at Julian, who paced the room, took a deep breath and then sat down beside him.

“It's not Cain's fault. He's just a kid, we can't blame him for Molly's accident. You know what she's like – she doesn't let anything stop her! If I'd known, I would have offered to go up and fetch the plane.”

“And Molly would have said there's no way you're going up a ladder, you've only just got back on your feet.”

A sudden thought struck Julian.

“What was that ladder doing there any way?”

Oswald briefly closed his eyes as he shook his head.

“It was being used for decorating the nursery. It got damaged when Velaska jumped down from the attic and a shot was fired. I meant to tell someone to throw it out and I forgot.”

“Who fired a shot?”

Julian was looking at him intently.

Anger flashed in Oswald's eyes.

“What difference does that make?”

“I just want to know!”

“Molly fired at Velaska and missed.”

Julian's eyes went wide as he wiped sweat from his face, fighting off a wave of panic.

“_Velaska again. He's a fucking curse, Oswald!”_

“He's dead!” Oswald replied firmly, “He's not coming back.”

“_No, but he's still reaching in and touching our lives! That's what I think he left us with – the curse of Velaska! How else do you explain this?”_

Oswald leaned on his cane and got up stiffly as Julian rose from his seat.

“I'm not listening to this bullshit,” Oswald said dismissively, “There's no curse, Julian. We're both scared for Molly and the baby. _Stop_ that crazy talk! Molly hit the ladder when she shot at Jeremiah and he is _dead_ now, he's gone!”

Julian fought back tears as he thought about Molly and the baby – his baby...

“_My baby won't make it!”_

“And we could both lose Molly too,” Oswald replied quietly, then he reached for Julian, pulling him close as he wept against his shoulder.

Then a distant sound cut through the air. It sounded far off, but it reached them clearly enough and Julian pulled back from Oswald as they looked at each other, then down the corridor.

“I heard a baby cry.”

“River has a couple of new mothers on this level, it was somebody else's baby, Julian. We both know Lucy will not cry. River said Molly would barely make it, and the baby won't survive -”

“_Listen!”_

Julian put a hand on Oswald's shoulder, slowly turning his head, looking down the corridor as they heard another healthy cry.

“There's a baby crying, Oswald! You hear it, tell me you hear it?”

“Yes I hear it too but it's_ not_ Lucy, Julian!”

He looked back sharply at Oswald.

“_I'm going to find that baby – don't tell me it's not her! I know it is, I feel it!”_

“Julian!” Oswald said sharply, but as he leaned on his cane he could not hurry to catch up with him as Julian dashed off down the corridor.

_He was sure it was Lucy. His daughter was alive, he felt it so strongly_... Julian heard the baby cry again and pushed open a door. And a woman was sitting in bed, with a baby feeding at her breast. She looked exhausted too, and clearly, had recently given birth. It wasn't Molly.

“Sorry,” Julian said, and stepped out and shut the door.

He looked left and right and saw another doorway and hurried over to it. A crazy thought ran through his head:

_I said I'd be running by the time you're here. Look at me, Lucy, I'll be going for a morning jog around the estate every day when you come home..._

He opened up the door. And the woman in the bed, who had her partner at her side as he cradled their contented child who was not crying, stared at him.

“Sorry, wrong room!”

Julian closed the door and looked back up the corridor.

Oswald was limping up to meet him, pausing to stop as his knee throbbed. Julian couldn't hear the baby crying any more.

But he _felt _her.

He knew she was there as he started to smile and tears of joy filled his eyes.

“_Julian.”_

_It was River. He knew before he turned around that she had his daughter in her arms, and she was okay..._

He turned around, giving a sob of joy as he looked to the baby in River's arms. She had soft blonde hair and light hazel eyes and as River handed her to him, he smiled down at her. He hadn't noticed how stunned River was even though it sounded in her voice.

“_I was certain about Molly's injuries. I just can't explain it... The baby's heartbeat was slowing in the ambulance. But when I delivered her by C section, she was fine. You can see, she's fine, Julian. She's two months early, she should be struggling but she's not. And she has no injuries from the accident. I can't explain this...”_

Julian sat down on a chair in the seating area as his legs began to ache from the dash up the corridor.

“And Molly?”

As he asked that, he looked into the eyes of his baby girl and she smiled as he smiled back at her.

“Molly seemed to have extensive injuries but... she doesn't,” River added, “I just don't understand it... they're_ both_ fine. I really don't understand this!”

Oswald had joined them. Tears of joy shone in his gaze as he watched Julian cradling his newborn daughter.

“Maybe it doesn't need an explanation,” he said as his voice trembled, “I know what Kane would say. He would say it's a miracle. Maybe it was.”

“Or maybe I got the dates wrong. Maybe Molly was eight and half months pregnant, not seven... and maybe she wasn't badly hurt, I must have been in shock... I must have made a mistake, Dad!”

“But she's okay and so is Lucy and that's all that matters!” he hugged River tightly, “Is she awake yet?”

“Not yet, but she will be soon, I'll take you to her.”

As she led Oswald up the corridor, Julian got up with the baby in his arms. He smiled down at Lucy, who did not look like a two months premature baby. Nor did she look like her mother had just been in a terrible accident. And Molly was just fine too...

“I remember a time when I could heal people,” Julian said softly, “And then my ability burned out... but maybe it was waiting to shift into someone else. Maybe, I gave you my gift... I have a theory about you, Lucy Lambrick...”

And he felt it, she definitely agreed with him as she grasped at his finger with her tiny hand, and smiled up at him.

Molly woke up feeling drugged and with a definite lightness in her body and for a moment, she felt blind panic as she recalled falling...

“Molly,” said Oswald, “You're okay and so is the baby. River thought there might be injuries to you both, so she performed a C section, but you're both fine!”

Molly looked up, seeing joy in Oswald's eyes as he grasped her hand and kissed it, then she saw Julian at her beside, he was sitting next to Oswald, and he had Lucy in his arms.

“She's absolutely fine, Molly,” he said, leaning closer as she looked at the face of her clearly healthy and unharmed child, who was wide awake and contented as she looked up at her, then back to her father.

“But I fell... How..._How_ did this happen? Are you sure everything's okay?” Molly asked weakly.

“Everything is fine!” Oswald assured her, “It's like a miracle, Molly!”

She kept a tight grip on his hand as she closed her eyes, drifting back to sleep as she recovered. As Oswald sat beside her, Julian held his baby daughter in his arms, feeling sure he was right :

It made sense, River's initial diagnosis had been right, because no one could have survived a fall like that, especially not a pregnant woman... But by the time they had arrived at the clinic, Lucy was fine, and by the time she was delivered, Molly's injuries were gone, too... _Lucy had inherited his ability. She had healed herself and then healed her mother too. If he was right about this, Lucy had a power all of her own, and it was many times stronger than anything he had ever possessed... _He decided to say nothing about his theory, he would watch and wait as she got older, time would prove if he was right...

Oswald had called home. By now, Cain was in bed after Penguin had comforted him, telling him it had been an accident and he was not to blame. But Cain had still cried himself to sleep. Then Penguin had put Felix to bed, and Iris, who had come over after Penguin had called to let her know what had happened, had watched him, taking care of the kids under such difficult circumstances. It made her think what a great father he would be.

Then as Penguin had left the nursery and closed the door softly, she felt the baby move. Something rippled inside her and she put her hand to her belly, feeling something tiny poke up and then dart away again.

“I just felt him move,” she said, “I think I might have been...”

The thought was there, and went warmly to her heart:

_It might have been his tiny flipper._

“Might have been what?” Penguin asked, putting his flipper on her belly. The baby moved again and he smiled broadly.

“I felt that too!”

Iris smiled, knowing for sure that in that moment, when she had felt her baby move, after all the worry over Molly and Lucy after the accident, she was sure she wanted this baby. She loved him, why had she not realised that before? Tears filled her eyes as she placed her hand over Penguin's flipper as she looked into his eyes.

“Our son just moved,” she said softly, “And I think that little poke we saw was his little flipper.”

Then she put her arms around him, hugging him tightly as relief flooded through her:

_Yes this baby was going to be different, but that didn't matter. He was their son, he was precious and they would love him no matter what difficulties he might have..._

On arriving home, Oswald had sent a message to Josh and then to Jax, informing them that his wife had been in an accident, but thankfully, she was fine, and so was new born Lucy. He left instruction with Josh to announce the birth to the press via telephone, and to schedule a picture session with selected newspapers at a later date, when Molly was fully recovered.

It was late when the message came through, and Josh was in bed beside Selina, he read the message and she looked at him in alarm.

“Molly fell from the balcony? Are kyu sure they're both okay?”

“Oswald said they're fine. Molly's not hurt and the baby is healthy.”

Selina breathed a relieved sigh.

“She was so lucky. I mean, how can she fall that far, and they're both okay?”

“Let's just be glad they're not hurt,” Josh replied, and he ran his hands over her rounded belly, placing a loving kiss on it as the baby kicked.

“Maria's lively tonight!”

“She's always lively,” Selina said with a smile, then she gave a contented sigh as she settled down beside Josh.

“Maybe we should call Oswald.”

“No, he's been through a lot today, so has Julian. I'll just send a quick reply and call him tomorrow.”

Josh sent back a message:

_So glad to know Molly and the baby are fine. Congratulations to you, Molly and Julian on the birth of Lucy, sir._

Then he sent the message, put the phone down and slid his arm around Selina, holding her close as she drifted off to sleep, feeling thankful Molly and the baby were okay, and even more thankful his own wife and their child had not been through such a worrying ordeal. Although accidents were unavoidable and impossible to predict, it made him even more determined that he would always protect his family, keeping them as safe as he possibly could, forever.

At the mansion, Iris had decided to stay the night with Penguin, to lend a hand with the kids so Oswald and Julian could get proper rest. It had been a hell of a day, and Oswald was glad to end that day with a few stiff drinks before bed. Julian had gone upstairs earlier, saying he was tired. Oswald didn't doubt it after the way he had run down that corridor. He had left the house without his cane, he was walking again, and he hadn't even thought to celebrate that yet.

Oswald was in the mood for celebration as he limped up the stairs not giving a damn about his aching leg and painful knee as he felt pure joy at Molly and Lucy's miracle escape from injury. He was heading for the bedroom, but stopped, seeing Julian standing in the room he used to occupy, before they had moved in together. His shirt was off and his legs were aching as he sat down heavily on the bed.

“What are you doing in your old room, Julian?” Oswald asked as he went in to join him, “This is a happy day, a day of miracles! I think you and I should celebrate that, don't you?”

Julian took in a slow breath and then sadness shaded his gaze as he spoke. At first, he had been overjoyed, then as he thought about what Molly had been through, his heart had ached sharply.

“Oswald, Molly's had to go through a C section. She's in pain, she has to recover from this - and it's my fault. I'm the one who got her pregnant.”

Oswald sat beside him, fondly stroking his cheek as he looked into his eyes.

“And that is how childbirth works, Julian! Molly's given birth to three of my children, and yes, it is traumatic to think about the pain, but the children are here - Lucy is here too, and we should be happy! Molly is overjoyed. She won't care about the discomfort as she recovers.”

“But_ I _put her though pain. And I love you both... I don't know why I'm so emotional!”

“Because you just became a father, because we had a big fright today too! And everything is okay now.”

Julian took a deep breath. He looked to the door of the locked playroom, then back at Oswald.

“_It's only fair I should go through pain too.”_

Oswald blinked,

“What? No, Julian, that's not necessary.”

“_I want you to tie me down and do what ever you like to me. Anything, Oswald! Don't hold back. Hurt me.”_

Oswald felt a flicker of arousal, and immediately chastised himself for allowing his dark side to enjoy that request. Sweet Julian was emotional and tired and overwhelmed and wished Molly had not suffered a single moment of discomfort bringing their child into the world. He just needed to rest and sleep and in the morning, he would be feeling much better.

“I don't think I should do that.”

Julian gripped his hand.

“I know we share Molly but she went through a lot today. I feel that, too!_ I feel her pain! You can punish me for it. I mean it Oswald, restrain me. Lock the door, it's soundproof in there. You can do anything, no limits..._”

Oswald gripped his wrists and pushed him on to his back, leaning over him as Julian felt his weight on top of him.

“_You want me to hurt you? I could torture you if I wanted to. I could make you scream and carry on hurting you... It's dangerous to tempt me like that. Is this what you want?”_

He blinked away tears and nodded.

“Punish me, she's going to need time to recover from the surgery. I'm the one who got her pregnant. _I _did this. I never wanted Molly to suffer!”

“_You want me to make you suffer, Julian? Treat you like they treated you in Ashecliffe Asylum?”_

Fear flickered in his eyes.

“_Yes,”_ he whispered.

Oswald ran a hand over his hair, then brushed a tear from his cheek and kissed him softly.

“_No.”_ he told him gently, “You're a sensitive soul who has just realised, now the baby is okay, that Molly will need recovery time from the birth. And it's emotional and overwhelming. I know you, Julian. You're wishing you could feel her pain, take it from her and bear it instead. You can't do that. And she will be just fine. I love you.”

Julian hugged him tightly.

“I love you too, Oswald.”

Then Oswald rolled off him and turned on his side, pulling him close as Julian curled tight in his arms, pressing his ear against his chest, soothed by the sound of his lover's heartbeat through the fabric of his shirt.

“Go to sleep,” Oswald said softly, “I'll stay here, I'll hold you all night long. And tomorrow, we will go and visit Molly and Lucy.”

Julian smiled as he closed his eyes.

“Yes, our family,” he murmured, then he slipped into an exhausted sleep as Oswald embraced him, and as he lay there, he silently hoped no more troubles would befall the family – because sensitive Julian would struggle to handle it...


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Next morning, Ivy had finally left her beloved plants to go home to Josh and Selina – and she called on the way to say she would be back soon, and that was when Selina had told her about Molly's accident, explaining Molly and the baby were fine, but for now, Penguin was staying at the house with Iris to help out until Molly returned home. Ivy had been twenty minutes from home. She turned the car around, heading instead on a route that would take her to the mansion.

When she arrived, it was Penguin who answered the door and he hugged her tightly and had a big smile on his face as he said Iris was sleeping in late – the baby had been kicking a lot and keeping her awake last night, he was a big baby and getting bigger every day.

“He's built like me,” Penguin added with a smile as he waddled down the hallway with Ivy beside him, and as he led her into the kitchen where Oswald sat with a cup of coffee still looking tired, she smiled brightly.

“Congratulations to you all!”

Julian was busy cooking breakfast for the kids.

“thanks,Ivy!” he said.

Cain was quiet, still upset about his mother's accident. Felix was in his high chair, looking contented as usual. Luna, who had been returned home early that morning by Fish, smiled fondly at Ivy.

“Hi Penguin's Mom!”

Ivy's eyes sparkled on hearing that.

“Well I did raise him, so I guess I earned that title,” she said, smiling back at her.

“You should see my little girl, she's beautiful!” Julian told her, “I can't wait for her and Molly to come home.”

“We're both looking forward to that,” Oswald added.

“I'm so glad Molly and the baby are okay!” she exclaimed, “When I called home and Selina told me about the accident I was so relieved to hear no one was hurt.”

“Yes, it's like a miracle,” Oswald told her, as Julian sat down and started to help Felix eat his breakfast, keeping quiet about his theory about Lucy.

It was then Penguin turned back to Ivy.

“Ivy,” he said, pausing to touch the tips of his flippers together, “Can I talk to you about me, about... many years ago?”

Ivy's smile faded.

“Why?” she asked, and Oswald noticed the hint of caution in her voice. He thought about Molly's theory, the one she had shared recently with him about Penguin's biological mother, and he looked away, smiling as he spoke to Luna about her new baby sister, keeping out of a matter that was strictly between Ivy and Penguin. He felt sure, after seeing the look in Ivy's eyes a moment ago, that Molly's idea might just be right...

“I would like to talk to you about my origins, to help ease the concerns Iris has about our baby,” he replied.

Ivy frowned as she thought about it.

“Oh yes... the baby... Yes, I think I should talk to you now. Excuse me, I need to speak to Penguin alone...”

She had said that with a glance to the table, then she walked quickly out of the room and Penguin waddled after her.

“_Slow down!” _Penguin called as he hurried into the front room, to find Ivy standing by the fireplace as she looked down at the low flickering flames and thought back to something she had never shared something she had hoped would never be revealed. _But now it had to be, because of the baby..._

“Penguin, sit down,” Ivy told him, and he sat down on the sofa as she joined him, sitting beside him and looking at him, then looking away as regret reflected in her gaze.

“You want to know why you're like you are, and why the baby is the same? Because he will be the same – just, without the lab speeding up the growth process...”

She turned to him, meeting his gaze and as she looked into his small dark eyes – such trusting eyes, she blinked away tears.

“Penguin, I could have escaped that lab right at the start if I wanted to. But I stayed, because of _you_. And the process to speed up your development was put in place because Valeska was impatient for a result, and he wanted to speed up your learning ability, which was slow to develop. _But that same process brought out birth defects which would have been present anyway_.”

Penguin looked at her in confusion.

“Ivy, I don't understand. You always said, I had defects because they sped up my growth and it went wrong.”

Ivy shook her head.

“No, Penguin. That wasn't the whole truth, and I knew you had a hard time, growing up different to everyone else, so I decided it was best not to tell you why you have those birth defects.”

He opened up a flipper as he gestured to her.

“But you know, so you should tell me! I need to know, so I can explain to Iris exactly what our little boy will be like, and why.”

Ivy nodded.

“Yes,” she replied sadly, “And I'm going to tell you._ And I'm sorry._”

She closed her hand gently over his flipper, in that moment recalling the little boy she had saved from the lab, the boy who had wiggled out of that sack, flippers first then looked up in wonder, seeing the sky for the first time in his life...

“Your birth defects don't come from Oswald,” she told him, “They come from your mother, because her cells were harvested without her consent, after she was abducted by Jeremiah and forced to work on the cloning project. She had spent several years altering her DNA scientifically, using plant derivates to become as one with them. Her genetics _never_ should have been used with normal human tissue from Oswald – because she's super human and has non human abilities, and that's why you look like you do!”

He saw tears in her eyes and he was still confused.

She took a deep breath.

“I'm talking about _me_. My cells were used without my consent while I was unconscious._ I'm your mother, Penguin._ And I never told you because I didn't want you to hate me, because you inherited defects because I altered my own DNA – and when I did it, I swear I never planned to have any children! I never would have done that -”

“_No, it's okay, I love you, Mom!”_

Penguin grabbed her, pulling her close as he hugged her tightly.

“You're my mom! I always used to _wish_ you were my real mother!”

As she drew back she blinked away tears.

“But how can you say that, after my DNA gave you defects?” she said.

Penguin's eyes sparkled as he held her hands with both flippers.

“Ivy – _Mom_, it doesn't matter! I am here, and I am me, Penguin Cobblepot, and I am glad to be alive and as for defects – I've _always_ been this way! I have nothing to compare it to, and I'm happy to be myself! Different isn't a bad thing, I'm happy with my life, Mom! The life that _you _gave to me, that you let me keep because you saved me. I love you too.”

As he smiled broadly, Ivy smiled too, feeling a weight long carried lifted from her heart.

“Your little boy – my grandson – will be just like you. He may also not be as bright as other kids – but you shouldn't compare him. I never compared you to any one, and you grew up strong and clever and wonderful.”

“And charming,” Penguin added proudly, “I have my father's charm, that's why I have my girlfriend and a baby on the way! I stole her heart with my charm!”

Ivy laughed as she looked at her son with love reflecting in her gaze, then she gathered her thoughts.

“We shouldn't keep this a secret, we should tell the rest of the family.”

Penguin's eyes went wide as he realised something.

“All the time you were in Arkham waiting for Oswald to help you, all you had to do was tell him that you were family – that his stolen DNA and yours, made me. That you were my mother. And you didn't say a word. You stayed for months in Arkham as a prisoner.”

She nodded.

“Yes.”

“To protect me? Because you thought I would hate you?”

“Yes,” she said again tearfully.

Penguin smiled broadly as joy lit up his round face.

“Only a mother could make such a sacrifice,” he told her, “And you shall sacrifice no more! We will tell the family together, this is wonderful news. I could never hate you! I am so very proud to be your son!”

A few days later, Molly was resting in bed as Oswald stood by the window watching the skies grow cold and cloudy as Lucy lay contented in his arms, wrapped in a warm blanket. She looked up at him with eyes like Julian, giving him a smile that warmed his heart.

“Oh Molly, she's a lovely little girl! So beautiful!”

“She looks like Julian,” Molly said with a smile as she sat in bed, taking a rest from feeding as Oswald cradled Lucy.

“Yes,” Oswald said as he looked fondly down at Lucy, “She does look like our sweet Julian. She has his eyes. Such kindness shines within them...And she smiles like you, my dear!”

Just then, Cain entered the room.

“Are you okay, Mom?” he asked as he went over to the bed.

Cain had not stopped asking her that question, he was still haunted by the accident.

“I'm fine,” Molly told him, “And please Cain, _stop_ thinking about my fall! It was my fault, not yours!”

“But I flew the plane up there. I blame myself for that.”

She looked at her eldest son, whose eyes were the same shade as Oswald. His hair was dark and he had Oswald's sharp, handsome features. And his sensitivity too and clearly, it would take him a while to get over the shock of the accident.

A sudden thought struck Molly that she did not care to voice aloud:

_What if Cain also suffered from the darkness and melancholy Oswald's father had once warned him about? Oswald sometimes got very dark moods, and depression ran in his family. And Cain was so like him... _Molly shook off her fears as she forced a smile, wishing that haunted look would leave his eyes.

“Why don't you sit with Oswald and hold the baby, love?”

Cain finally smiled and gave a nod.

“I'd like that,” he said, and as Oswald sat on the edge of the bed, Cain sat beside him as Oswald placed the baby in his arms.

“Hi Lucy,” he said softly, “I'm your big brother, and I'm going to look after you, I'll be the best big brother you could ever have.”

Oh hearing those words Molly finally relaxed, seeing Cain's sad mood start to lift. Then Julian came into the room, and as he gently took the sleepy baby from Cain, he cradled Lucy in his arms for a moment, looking down at her tenderly.

“Let's put you to bed, little one,” he said, walking around the bed to the cot on the other side of it, “Time for sleep, Princess... sweet dreams, Daddy loves you.”

Molly exchanged a smile with Oswald as their hands linked. It was a perfect moment, the three of them here with Lucy as Cain looked on. Then Luna hurried into the room.

“Felix wants Mommy!” she said softly, realising the baby was asleep.

Julian smiled down at his daughter, who was sleeping deeply, then he turned around and looked to Luna.

“Well Mommy's resting, and Daddy needs to rest his knee, so Felix will have to make do with Daddy Julian,” he said, and then he left the room as Felix called _Mama _and he called back, “Dada Julian's here, Felix!”

Cain and Luna left the room and Molly rested in bed as Oswald sat on top of the covers beside her.

“I think our family is going to be okay,” Oswald told her softly, “After all we've been through, look at us now – stronger and closer than ever.”

Molly rested her head on his shoulder as she gave a sigh.

“And I hope it stays that way.”

“It will, Molly, it will.” Oswald promised her.

The weather grew colder. Snow began to fall. As he watched it from the window, Jax sat with the fire glowing warmly as Carol placed cocoa on the table.

“Thank you Carol,” he said with a smile, and reached for it with his new, non cyborg prosthetic arm, drawing the hand back, then using his undamaged hand instead, as he was not yet confident with the new arm.

“I shall be back at work soon,” he told her, “And I just wanted to thank you for all your help. I will be relying on you more than ever to care for the house and Alicia while I'm working. I'm so glad Oswald suggested you for the job.”

“So am I,” Carol agreed, and then Jax patted the sofa as Carol looked at the empty space beside him and her heart skipped a beat.

“Sit with me a while?”

She sat beside him, placing her own cocoa on the table as he sipped his and put it down again, then he turned his head and looked at her and smiled.

“While I shall always miss April, it's a great comfort to know you are here, taking care of my daughter, keeping the house in good order... And I can't wait to get back to work. I feel ready now. And Josh and Selina's baby is due any day.”

“And Oswald said there's no need to rush, he will call you if he needs you while Josh is on paternity leave,” she reminded him.

The glow of the firelight reflected softly on his face as his dark eyes looked into hers.

“I'm more than ready to go back to work,” he said, then he looked to the window, watching the fall of snow, soft against the night darkened street as flakes fell heavily.

“It looks so pretty out there,” he remarked, “There's nothing like the fall of snow to remind us of the beauty of winter – even at its coldest temperature.”

“That's true,” Carol agreed, “And a few years from now, Alicia will be out there with you – or you and maybe a step mother, making a snowman.”

Jax shook his head.

“No, Carol,” he replied, “I see no step mother in the future for Alicia. Her mother is gone. But, I'm content to get on with life alone, enjoying the company of my daughter and my housekeeper.”

As he smiled fondly, the thought crossed his mind that he was growing closer to Carol. He was fond of her, too. But he was still mourning the death of his wife, so he pushed those feelings aside and turned the subject to his plans for returning to work, then Carol said she had to finish up in the kitchen, and then she left the room, and he finished his cocoa and went upstairs to bed, alone.

While the snow fell peacefully over Gotham City, at Josh and Selina's house the peace had been abruptly shattered by Selina waking after going to bed early, Josh had joined her at ten pm, then shortly after drifting off to sleep, had been woken by her grabbing at his shoulder and shaking him hard.

“_Wake up!”_ she said, giving a gasp.

Josh snapped his eyes open. Selina was on top of him, wearing a long sleep shirt that looked stretched over her baby bump. And she was flushed and her eyes were wide as she placed a hand on her belly.

“And again...” she took a sharp breath as pain hit, then remembered to breathe.

“I think I'm in labour....”

She breathed in again, giving a gasp as they heard a gush and she felt it run from her, then it was running over Josh, too.

“I think your waters just broke!” he exclaimed.

Selina was glad of his help as he sat up and assisted her, helping her to lie back as he got up, dripping wet as they looked to the wet patch in the bed.

“That's definitely your waters!” Josh said, feeling a flicker of excitement and apprehension. Selina was in labour, he was about to become a father...

“I'll fetch your overnight bag,” he added, “And I'll call the hospital.”

The pains were changing from flickering cramps to deep, sharp bursts of agony.

“Be quick,” she told him as she paused to breathe through another contraction, “I think this baby is in a hurry!”

Josh felt a flicker of panic as he looked at his pregnant wife, on the bed with her hand on her belly as another contraction hit.

“You'd better not be in too much of a hurry, Maria!” he said as he reached for the phone and the thought occurred to him that if things went too fast, he might be delivering this baby himself before help arrived...

Despite everything Josh had witnessed and experienced working for Oswald and working alongside Jax, _nothing_ had prepared him for this. He spoke quickly on the phone as a doctor asked him, how far apart are the contractions?_ Its like one big endless contraction!_ He had replied as Selina lay there on her back and gave a yell.

He was told an ambulance was on its way. And then he grabbed his clothes and threw them on and sat beside her, holding her hand as her face flushed heavily and she lay there soaked in sweat giving another yell as she rode through a wave of pain.

“How long has this been happening?” he asked as she panted hard.

She looked up at him, squeezing his hand tightly as more pain ran through her body.

“All day...”

“And you didn't think to tell me?”

“I thought it was Braxton hicks!”

“Well it's not, is it!” he exclaimed.

She gave another low cry of pain, clinging tightly to his hand as she gritted her teeth and looked up at him.

“Obviously not... _Oh, shit!_”

“What's wrong?”

She panted again.

“_I need to push!”_

“Please don't, not yet -”

Selina gave a yell as she pushed hard, her whole body was shaking and it was a fight to prise his grip from her hand.

“Don't leave me!” she gasped, breathing hard.

“I'm not, I have to see what's happening!” Josh told her urgently, and as he parted her legs wider, he saw the stretching had begun and then he realised the head was emerging. He didn't have time to think.

“Okay...I can see the head...”

“_What? You can't deliver our baby! You're not a doctor! I'm pretty sure working for Oswald involves defending the underworld, not delivering babies!” _

She sucked in a breath, her body tensing as she pushed again, unable to fight it, then as she felt the tender flesh begin to burn and stretch further, she held back on another push as she breathed short and fast, remembering the head was crowning.

“Okay, I can do this... I have to! Just push when you're ready...” Josh told her.

“_I can't hold it back!”_ she gasped, and threw her head back as her body tensed and her legs shook as she pushed again, and the baby's shoulders emerged.

Josh reached towards her with shaking hands, gently holding Maria as she pushed again. And she slid out as Selina gave another yell, along with more fluid that soaked the bed as Josh lifted the baby into his arms. Maria was moving, kicking her legs as she gave a loud cry. Selina laughed with joy as Josh gave a sob of sheer relief.

“_We did it!”_

“_We certainly did!”_

Selina sunk back against the pillow, exhausted.

The doorbell rang. Josh placed the baby on her chest as Selina looked into the eyes of Maria, their daughter who had eyes like her and light brown hair like Josh. By the time the paramedics came upstairs, Maria was at Selina's breast having her first feed. They cut the cord, then checked over Selina and the baby. Selina was fine, she had no birth injuries and needed no stitches. Maria was seven pounds ten ounces and wide awake and strong and healthy. Josh spent the rest of that night in a happy daze of joy. He had become a father. He had also delivered his own daughter.

Josh waited until morning to break the good news, first he called Ivy, who was away tending to her plants, she was overjoyed but a little disappointed that Selina was sleeping, and she said she would be finished with the plants by noon, then on her way home. Then he contacted Oswald, breaking the good news along with an apology as he sent a text message to explain he would not be in to work, because Selina had given birth at home after a rapid labour and he had delivered Maria by himself. He was just about to send a message to Jax, when the phone rang. It was Oswald.

“Congratulations!” he said warmly, “Please give my love to Selina, and when you're able to leave them for a short while, pick up everything you might need for the new baby and just say Mr Penguin will take care of the bill.”

“Thank you, that's very kind of you, sir.”

“And enjoy your paternity leave with Selina and Maria,” he added, There's no rush to get back – everything is in good order and I know Jax is impatient to return to work. Just cherish these early days with your baby. I know how wonderful that is, we have four children and the joy of a new baby is so very precious. I'll leave you now to spend time with your family. And once again, congratulations, Josh.”

“Thank you sir,” Josh replied, and then he ended the call.

He took his advice, knowing he would cherish these precious early days. It was still sinking in, this wonderful feeling of contentment and peace that he could only define as_ family._ They were a family now, Maria was here at last.

Jax Sterling was overjoyed to hear Maria's rapid entrance into the world had been a safe one. He congratulated Josh, then after he ended the call, he phoned Oswald. He went back to work the following day, keen to resume his life as General to Mr Penguin, now he was over the surgery and getting used to the ordinary prosthetic arm, with no sign of the toxin yet affecting him, he could – for now – resume his life as usual.

Now Lucy was here, Julian had kept that promise to go for a run around the estate every morning. His fitness schedule was hard work, but the more he did, the more able he became, but he had to keep it up. Every day he ran around the estate early in the morning. He went to the gym three times a week too, and every evening he walked or ran for an hour on the treadmill. Molly loved his toned and athletic body. Oswald couldn't keep his eyes off him, either. Both his lovers adored the way his exercise routine kept him in such good shape.

And then one morning when Molly was up early to feed Lucy, and as she took a walk down the hallway with the baby in her arms, she was surprised to hear Julian on the phone, and as she paused by the top of the stairs she heard him talking, and it sounded unthinkably suspicious...

“Yes, Grace, I love the sound of that! I'm so excited! I can't wait to see it... Oh yes, bring Sarah too – obviously I want to do it with _both_ of you!”

Molly gave a soft gasp as she stood there holding Julian's baby in her arms... while he did what, arrange a threesome with two women? He said _Goodbye Gracie_ very fondly as he ended the call, and Molly stepped away from the stairs and went quickly back to the bedroom, wondering what she had actually heard. _No, Julian wasn't like Ed, he wasn't a cheater._.. she was sure of it. But she didn't want to bring up the subject as she returned to the bedroom with Lucy, and then Oswald woke up and they got on with a seemingly ordinary morning, as she quietly watched and worried as she wondered why Julian had shared such a suspicious conversation with the mysterious Gracie...

The mystery was solved a few days later.

The older kids were at school, Molly and Oswald had just returned home from visiting River and Victor, and as Oswald helped Felix take off his coat, Molly heard voices drifting down from the front room. A woman said something, and Julian laughed.

“_Oh yes, that's perfect... that's how I like it!”_ he said, _“This is exactly what I need!” _

“Oswald, take the baby,” Molly told him, placing Lucy in his arms.

He looked at her in confusion.

“What's wrong?”

“Nothing – I hope. Just watch the kids for a minute...”

She hurried off down the hallway and marched into the front room, glaring at... Julian, who was fully dressed in jeans and a shirt, and there was a tall, slender woman in a beige business suit. Her hair fell to her shoulders, it was reddish brown and wavy, and she looked very pretty, as pretty as the shorter blonde who stood beside her in a black business suit.

What's going on?” It was all she could think to say as she looked back at then in confusion_. Clearly, this was no orgy..._

Julian made the introductions.

“This is Gracie,” he said, indicating to the brunette, “We met when I looked her up, when I found out she'd moved to Gotham. I first met her many years ago -”

Gracie took up the rest.

“When he attacked me under the influence of the Tetch virus,” she added, “And dear Julian was so apologetic. But I fully understand exactly what that virus did to ordinary, decent people. He's not to blame. And we became friends.”

Molly looked from Julian to Gracie and the woman who stood beside her.

“Okay...” she said, wondering why he had kept this friendship a secret from her and Oswald.

“I realise I should have said something before, “ Julian said with a smile, “But I wanted to surprise you and Ozzie...”

Just then Oswald limped into the room with the baby in his arms as Felix ran past saying _Hi!_ then heading for his comfy corner filled with toys.

With Oswald in the room, Julian spoke again.

“This is Gracie, and this is Sarah,” he said, and he looked to the two women.

“We run an advertising company,” said Gracie, “And when Julian told us about his plans, we wanted to help.”

Sarah smiled as she spoke up.

“As soon as Gracie told me about Julian, back when he was determined to get back on his feet and get back out there and do something good for the city, I just had to come up with something, we really wanted to help,” she added.

Molly looked from the two women to Julian.

“I heard you on the phone, you said you couldn't wait to _do it_ with both of them...”

Gracie and Sarah exchanged a bemused glance as Gracie laughed.

“You thought me and Julian -”

“Oh no, _no_, of _course_ not!” Molly said as her face flushed.

“You didn't think I was fooling around?” Julian looked as shocked as he felt, “I would never do that!”

“I know that, love, it's just the way it sounded... I've got this very wrong, clearly!”

Oswald chuckled.

“Clearly, you have, Molly!”

Sarah smiled as amusement danced in Gracie's eyes.

“I'd never go for Julian or any other man, Molly. I'm a lesbian.”

Molly's face lit up with a big smile.

“Well that's good to know! Not that I thought anything was going on -”

“And Sarah is my wife,” Gracie added.

_Oh, Molly you have got this so wrong_, she thought silently as she smiled and nodded and then looked with relief to Julian, before looking back at Gracie, still thankful she had got that phone conversation very wrong indeed.

“Well, she would be your wife, I mean, You're a lesbian so it makes sense you'd marry a woman. Of course you would! I'm so glad to hear it! Oh, listen to me babbling on – _I sound like me Dad!_” she laughed.

“I think you should show Molly and Oswald what we've been up to,” Gracie said, and Julian smiled proudly as he looked from Oswald to Molly.

“Now I'm back on my feet, and after serving the underworld on the city council, I now want to serve the underworld in a new way,” he said, and he reached for one of several papers inside a folder and took it out, turning it over to reveal a picture of himself, along with the words, _Vote Mayor Lambrick._

“Oh Julian, this is wonderful news!” Oswald exclaimed, “Yes, go for it! I'm certain the city will vote for you.”

“And we are going to run the publicity and advertising side of things,” Sarah added, “The city needs a mayor like Julian. This time next year, the election will be his.”

Oswald's eyes shone with pride as he smiled at his lover.

“I'm so proud of you.”

“Thanks, Ozzie,” Julian said.

Molly smiled too.

“I'm proud too,” she told him warmly, “You can do this, Julian. I know you can. You'll be the best mayor this city has ever had.”

A few short months after Maria came into the world, another baby was born – this time, the second baby in the same year for the Cobblepot family. Penguin and Iris welcomed their baby son Penguin Junior into the world, born three weeks early by planned C section because he was too big to give birth to naturally. Penguin felt so proud, wadding into the room where Iris was recovering, carrying a huge bouquet of flowers. Iris was resting in bed, sitting up and cradling a precious little bundle wrapped in a white blanket. His small dark eyes looked up at her as he raised tiny pink flippers and waved them about. He was big and round, and heavy for a new born, with all of Penguin's birth defects - but he was just like his father, and defects really didn't matter at all – they both loved him.

“How could I have ever doubted I would love this baby?” Iris asked as Penguin put the flowers at her beside, then sat down and gazed lovingly at his baby son.

“You always loved him,” Penguin said softly, “It just took time to get used to the idea.”

Iris smiled as she held their precious little boy.

“Now I can't imagine life without him,” she replied, and paused to kiss a tiny pink flipper.

Later, Ivy would be along to meet her grandson, and when she saw him, she said the same thing that everyone else in the family would say : He was beautiful and precious. Everyone would see past his defects and see him for the sweet and special little soul that he was. He was welcomed into the world with deepest love. And it seemed, life would be good to the family as time went on:

_When Lucy was a year old, Oswald got a dog. _

_The kids adored the bulldog puppy they named Edward the Second._

_That same year, Mayor Julian Lambrick won by a landslide majority. _

_He and Molly and Oswald had never been happier. _

_The kids were happy too, the family was doing okay._

_For now, Jax remained in good health. _

_Oswald decided to appoint two Generals – Jax and Josh would share duties from now on._

_And the underworld was peaceful and thriving in its unity with the city._

_For a while, even the name Jeremiah Velaska slipped from their memories as the thought of Velaska's curse went forgotten._

_Five years would pass by before that name was mentioned again..._


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

A message from the Author:

**Hello readers! **

**Here is the final chapter of Part 6. **

**Part 7 will start in January!**

**Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my readers, I wish you all a wonderful time over the festive season! **

**Love Davina xxx**

Five years Later:

_It was almost Christmas. _

Edward the bulldog was dozing in the front room as the fire flickered warmly. Molly had got out the holly and ivy garlands and now they hung by the fireplace like they did every year. The house whole was decorated with warm and festive garlands and soft, glowing lights. There was a tiny Christmas village on a table with a train that ran around a track. The kids loved it. Outside, the tree nearest the house had been covered with warm lights. And indoors, the Christmas the tree was almost completely decorated. It stood tall in the corner of the front room, with shiny red baubles and silver tinsel that reflected the lights that glowed as it lit up against the fake snow that covered its boughs. 

Molly was in the kitchen with Iris and Penguin, he was busy helping cook food for the party that evening. Oswald was sitting in the front room, smiling as he sat there on the sofa, his leg up on a footstool to rest his knee because over the past five years, it had got much worse. But he loved to watch the kids decorate the tree. He sat there with a glass of scotch in his hand, watching as the youngest kids helped. Today Maria was here to play with Lucy, and Penguin had brought his son over, too. Little Penguin was excited as ever to be playing with two of his friends. Six year old Alicia was tall for her age, and in her long pale pink dress covered with dark flowers and her fair hair falling to her shoulders, she reminded him so much of April. Oswald watched fondly as she reached over to a tree bough to help Maria put on more tinsel. Maria wasn't as tall as Alicia, and she wore a red party dress that matched the bow tied in her light brown, bobbed hair.

Now the tree was perfect and ready for the final finishing touch. And he hurried closer, shorter than the two girls and round and heavy, with his small dark eyes shining excitedly. His little polished shoes tapped quickly on the floor as he hurried over, wearing an adorable miniature suit that his Daddy had made especially for him. This was Little Penguin, and he looked like his father in every way, his hair was as dark as his eyes, and he had a big, broad smile on his round face. Julian had finished decorating the top of the tree as he turned around and looked to the kids.

“Who wants to put the star on top?” he asked.

Little Penguin looked at him intently as Julian looked to the girls, knowing how much Penguin wanted to do this. He had already told them, ' _either help Lucy and Luna and Felix with the tree in the hallway, or help me with the big tree – but we're going to let Little Penguin put the star on top because it means a lot to him...'_

Maria and Alicia exchanged a glance, smiling. Little Penguin was looking up all the way to the top, his flippers touching as he hoped he would get the job.

“_Pick me. Pick... ME!” _he said urgently.

Julian smiled down at little Penguin.

“Would_ you_ like to do it, Penguin?”

His little flippers opened up and trembled excitedly.

“Yes, yes, Penguin wants to put the star on top!” he said, giving a little jump for joy.

Julian lifted the heavy little boy all the way to the top and Little Penguin looked at the shiny star he held in his flipper, then reached up and placed it on top of the tree.

“It's so shiny!” he said as Julian set him back on the ground and he stood there, looking up in wonder, “Will Santa come soon?”

“Yes,” Alicia said, as Maria nodded in agreement, “He comes tonight, Penguin.”

Little Penguin ran to the window, looking up at the sky.

“Penguin wants gifts and wants to see Santa!”

Just then Luna hurried into the room. She was also ready for the party, and in her sparkling gold dress, reminded Oswald of Fish. Luna was ten years old now, her hair was short and framed her face and as she smiled, she made her announcement:

“The hallway tree is gold and silver! I chose the colours and it looks great!”

“Let's take a look at the tree,” Julian said, and Penguin waddled after him as Maria hurried out to join him.

As he sat there resting, Oswald heard Felix say,_ I did that! I put the gold on the tree! _Felix was six and a half now. He was full of energy and had a laugh just like his mother. Oswald finished his drink, sitting there by the fire with his leg on the footstool as he thought about the future and suddenly, he was fighting back tears:

Life had been going just fine - until recently. He had expected, after his diagnosis, that it was Jax he had to worry for. It had been five years since Jax learned of the toxin in his bloodstream, but so far, thankfully, his health had stayed good. Oswald had not imagined he would be the one sitting here now, afraid for the future.

His knee had given him trouble ever since the incident with Velaska five years before. Old damage then more on top of it didn't improve with time, that leg had been barely functional before the attack, and now, five years after it had sustained more damage, Oswald had collapsed in agony, and when River had told him the joint was crumbling and the muscles were dying and her only option was to amputate, he had thought she was joking. Then he had realised she meant it. There was nothing else she could do to treat the years of damage, and two weeks into January, he was going into the clinic to have his leg cut off above the knee.

_That shock was still sinking in. _

Right now, he could barely walk. Three weeks from now, he would be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. His hip joint had taken too much strain from years of limping heavily, he would not be able to walk again with a prosthetic limb. He had asked about robotic tech, but River had told him that the surrounding tissues were too damaged to take the wiring process. If he had an artificial leg, it would be cosmetic and not functional. He would never walk again, but that was a better option that waiting for the leg to get worse, putting him at risk of infection.

Oswald reached for the bottle beside him and poured another drink and took a sip from it, but the booze did nothing to hold back his tears. Cain was seventeen now. Luna was ten, Felix was six and Lucy was five years old. And he wanted to be active, not laid up unable to keep up with his children... In summer when his knee had started to get much worse, Julian had seen him tearful as he watched him kick a ball about with Luna,and then he had put his arm around him and said, _But Ozzie, you couldn't be as physically active as me under any circumstances, not with that limp! Don't worry about your leg, me and Molly love you..._

But Oswald was quietly weeping for himself now, and all the things he would never do because once he lost his leg, he would never walk again.

He didn't know she was standing there until she placed a hand on his arm.

“Are you crying, Daddy Oz?” asked Lucy.

He turned his head, blinking away tears as he looked at the little girl with Molly's smile and Julian's eyes. She was wearing a blue party dress with a sparkling snowman on it, and the way her blonde hair fell to her shoulders and caught the light, she looked like a little angel. Kindness shone from her eyes the same way it did from Julian's. She reminded Oswald of his wife and their lover, this special girl who no one had planned, who had survived that fall before she was born, that same fall that had seen Molly recover without injury - it had been like a miracle. And as she looked at him, Oswald decided, the younger kids didn't know yet - but Lucy had seen him crying, and he wanted to explain why as best he could.

“I'm just feeling sorry for myself,” he admitted, “You know I walk with a limp?”

She looked a little puzzled.

“You've always had a limp. You walk with a cane, I thought that was because you liked the cane?”

Oswald laughed softly as he looked at little Lucy Lambrick.

“No, Lucy – believe me when I say no one would want to have the pain I get in my leg!” his smile faded, “I was hurt a long time ago and my knee is very bad now, I have to have an operation in a few weeks time – I'm going to lose my leg. I won't be able to walk any more. That's why I was upset, I was thinking too much about it.”

Lucy looked at him as she thought about what he had told her.

“You want your leg to get better?”

Oswald forced a smile.

“I wish it could, yes.”

In that moment, she seemed to know far more than her years.

“It's always been hurting, but you hide it.”

“I try to,” Oswald said in surprise.

“And you really want it to get better?”

“I know it can't happen, Lucy. But if my leg could get better that would be the best Christmas present ever!”

Lucy smiled too.

“Okay,” she said, understanding at once.

She placed her hand on his arm, giving a small squeeze.

“All better, Daddy Oz. Merry Christmas!” she said brightly, then as Edward trotted out of the room with a toy in his mouth, she turned away, hurrying after him as she called his name.

Oswald sat there for a moment, feeling rather odd:

_For the first time in weeks, the pain had stopped..._

He placed a hand on his knee, confused that the swelling was gone. The pain was gone, too. It had happened the instant Lucy had placed her hand on his arm...

“No, this can't be right...” he muttered,. and he placed his hands on the arm rests of the chair, bracing himself for the pain that would hit sharply as he got up.

_But it didn't._

_There was no pain. _

Oswald's eyes grew wide as he gave a gasp, then he took several stiff steps across the room, his damaged bones would never allow him to walk without a limp, but that limp was_ nothing_ like it used to be... He reached the doorway without his cane, standing on a leg that had instantly healed. He wanted to call to Molly and Julian, but as it hit him that Lucy had just healed him, that she had the power Julian used to have as Messiah, he turned back, sat down and wept tears of relief.

Just then Molly came into the room and she hurried over to him.

“Oh no, Oswald, not again – how many times do I have to tell you, I just want you to be here with me and Julian and the kids, and if you have to lose your leg to do that -”

“But I don't!” he said as he stood up without his cane, and Molly stared at him as her jaw dropped: Her husband who could barely walk was standing, and then he stepped closer, easily, without his cane...

“_How...”_

Oswald started to laugh. He grabbed her and kissed her and then held her tightly. As Julian came in to see Oswald laughing and crying as he hugged Molly, he was utterly confused.

“What's going on?” he asked.

Oswald stepped back from Molly and stood there, his eyes shining with joy.

“_Your daughter just healed me, Julian. She has your ability.”_

Molly gave a gasp. Suddenly, that fall and surviving it unhurt while she was pregnant with Lucy wasn't a miracle at all – miracles and luck had _nothing_ to do with it...

“She's got your healing ability! She must have inherited it!”

“I thought it was gone,” Julian admitted, “But after the fall, and you were okay and she was fine, I had my theories - but I've never been able to prove it until now.”

Molly thought back as she recalled something else.

“Little Penguin had a cold when he came over this morning. He puts his flippers up when he sneezes, but opens them... the snot went everywhere! He hasn't got a cold now, not since he played with Lucy this morning!”

Then Molly realised something else as tears came to her eyes.

“When I was pregnant, when I fell from that balcony... she healed herself? She was unborn and she healed her self and -”

“And then she healed you,” Julian confirmed, “I always thought that was how it happened.”

Just then Lucy came back into the room. She walked over to Daddy Oz and smiled.

“You feel better now.”

“Yes, I do, Lucy. Thank you so much!”

He hugged her and as he let go, she smiled up at him.

“You have a special gift,” Julian said softly, and she turned to her Daddy.

“That thing you can do, when you touch people and they get better, it's very special,” he told her, “But you can't tell anyone about it, because it's something no one else can do, not like you can.”

“Did you get rid of Little Penguin's cold?” Molly asked.

Lucy nodded.

“Yes, and now he's happy again and there's no snot anywhere!” she said with a bright smile.

Molly smiled as she hugged her daughter.

“You really do have a very special gift, sweetheart,” she told her, “But I think Daddy should talk to you about how to look after it. And by the way,” gratitude shone in her eyes as she fondly stroked her daughter's hair, “Thank you so much for making Daddy Ozzie's leg better. It means as much to us as it does to him, Lucy.”

Lucy smiled and gave a shrug.

“It was easy!” she said.

Julian sat down on the sofa and called her over. As Molly and Oswald hugged and Oswald fought back tears of joy as he told her again how Lucy had healed him, Julian sat with his daughter and spoke softly to her.

“What you can do is very special,” he explained, “But you have to keep it a secret for now – we can't tell anyone until you are older. And if you want to make someone better, you can only help people who are hurt or who have an illness – never, ever try and heal someone who has been poisoned because it will lift out of them and go into you. Do you understand that? You can't make people better if they've been hurt by something toxic.”

To his surprise, Lucy nodded at once.

“I know that, Daddy. Like Jax - he is sick but I can't fix him. It's not like Daddy Oz and his leg.”

Julian was briefly lost for words. Clearly, Lucy did have his power – but many times stronger than his had ever been.

“It's good that you know that,” he replied, and then he glanced to Oswald and Molly.

“We have to keep this secret, she needs a normal childhood.” he said quietly, as Oswald nodded in agreement. Then he smiled at Lucy as he changed the subject.

“There's a tree upstairs in the hallway. Want to help me decorate it?”

“Yes!” she said excitedly, and then he got up and left the room as Lucy hurried after him.

It was still sinking in as Oswald turned back to Molly. _He was not going to lose his leg. He could stand and walk and he still had a limp, but he barely needed a cane any more..._

“At the party tonight, I'm going to dance with you!” Oswald said excitedly. Then he laughed as he added, “But I still have the damned limp – so I guess it will be a slow dance!”

Molly laughed too as she took him in her arms.

“I'll take any dance with you, my chubby Penguin!” she said as they shared a kiss.

Josh had just finished up some paperwork for Oswald. He knocked before entering the front room, smiling to see Molly pull back from a kiss with her husband. Then he noticed Oswald was standing without his cane.

“Sir, your leg -”

“Is much better!” Oswald said as joy shone in his gaze, “It's a long story but I won't be needing the surgery now.”

“That's great news!” Josh replied, and then he remembered why he had knocked.

“The paper work is all done, and now I'm going home, I'll be back later with Selina for the party. I'll ask Maria if she wants to come home but I think she's going to say she wants to stay with her friends until we come back.”

“Maria is welcome here any time,” Oswald told him warmly, “And I'll see you and Selina at the party tonight, Josh.”

As Josh left the room, Molly still had her arms around Oswald as she looked into his eyes.

“I just realised something,” she said, “All those years he suffered – everything Julian went through, led to him gaining the healing power – it led to her, to Lucy! Our Lucy, with that amazing gift!”

“Yes,” Oswald agreed, “I'm sure that thought has crossed Julian's mind too – something so good to come out of such a terrible dark time. She really is a blessing for all of us.”

“And we have to protect her,” Molly reminded him, “Julian's right, she needs a normal childhood. We can't have the world finding out about her gift.”

“We will protect her,” Oswald promised, “When she gets older, she has a great ability she can use to help others. But for now, she is only five years old.”

Molly nodded. Then she smiled again as her eyes sparkled.

“And that little five year old saved your leg!” she gave him another hug, “I'm _so_ glad you're okay!”

“So am I, Molly!” Oswald said, then he pulled her closer and he kissed her again.

Josh reached the kitchen and stood there for a moment, watching as Little Penguin waddled across the room while Penguin stood by the cooker, opening up a flipper as he talked about the importance of the herbs and seasoning he was using on the meat and Molly and Iris listened with interest. Meanwhile, Little Penguin climbed on to a chair, took a flower from the vase on the table, then he jumped down, tapped Maria on the shoulder and as she turned around, he smiled broadly.

“Penguin gives you flower, because Maria is my pretty friend.”

She smiled back at him as she took the flower, then they hugged.

“Maria is Penguin's friend forever!” he declared joyfully.

“That was such a nice thing to do!” Iris told him as she smiled down at her son.

“Now Penguin helps Daddy,” he said, and waddled over to his father, who handed him a bowl and some cake mix and a spoon and told him not to make a mess. They waddled together over to the table and Penguin lifted his son into a chair, then as he helped him to add an egg to the mix, Josh looked to Maria.

“I've finished work now, Maria. I'm going home and I'm back later with Mommy for the party. Do you want to stay here with Little Penguin and the other children until we come back?”

Maria nodded keenly.

“Yes, Daddy, I want to stay here!”

Josh gave his daughter a hug.

“Okay, I'll see you tonight. Be good.”

“I will!” she told him, then Josh left the room and Maria went over to the table, taking a seat next to Penguin Junior as she looked up at his father.

“I can help him to mix it,” she said, and Penguin smiled.

“Thanks, Maria,” he replied, and then he waddled back to the other side of the kitchen as Maria took Little Penguin's flipper in her hand and showed him how to mix it.

“This is how you do it without getting messy!” she told him.

Jax Sterling had just returned home after working for the morning, now he was off duty until after Christmas, and as he went into the house and closed the door, he shivered despite his warm, thick coat. He took it off and hung it up in the hallway, then took off his scarf and gloves, paused to brush snow from his hair and went into the front room. Carol had the fire burning nicely, and he smiled at the sight of the hot coffee she had just placed on the table.

“Home on time as usual,” she remarked.

“I've had a busy morning,” Jax replied, “I had to take Alicia over to Oswald's place first, then tie up some loose ends at work, and I just called Oswald to see if Lucy wanted to come home before the party tonight, but he said you'd already called, and Lucy was staying, so that gives me a few hours rest before we go to the party.”

Carol smiled as he said that. She had been looking forward to this, going to Oswald's party with Jax... Then Jax paused for a moment, and as he spoke again, she knew something was very wrong.

“Carol,” he said, “Sit down, please. I need to talk to you.”

Carol sat on the armchair, looking across the coffee table at Jax, feeling a jolt of alarm as she saw such deep sadness in his eyes as he took a seat on the sofa. He had not been his usual self lately, he was tired, he felt the cold more than usual, he went to bed early and often complained of joint pain and headaches. She knew it before he said it, the toxin in his bloodstream had finally made its presence known...

“You're aware I've not been feeling too great lately,” he told her, “Well, I went to see River and she said she was very sorry but the inevitable has happened. The toxin has become active. I start treatment in January. She agreed I don't have to tell Oswald until the holiday season is over, we know he's going to be upset about this. I'm sorry, Carol. This could get rough on me and I don't know if I'm going to make it. But I shall try and get through, for Alicia and for you and everyone else I care about. And I want to see my daughter grow up!”

She blinked back tears.

“For me?”

Jax hesitated. It had been five years since April's death, but it still seemed wrong to allow feelings for another to take the place of his lost wife.

“I'm going upstairs to rest,” he replied, “I want to be at my best for the party tonight.”

Then he grabbed his coffee and got up and left the room. Carol sat there alone, fearing for Jax as she tried not to shed tears. Part of her job had always required this: one day, to get him through the treatment to hopefully destroy the toxin before it killed him. It had been five years. They had known this was coming. But it still felt like a terrible shock...

As evening fell, the house was lit up brightly as guests began to arrive for the party. And upstairs in his room, seventeen year old Cain Cobblepot was standing before his mirror, in a black suit with a silk waist coat. He adjusted his father's red tie and put on another borrowed item from his Dad: his leather gloves, the ones he had worn in war time. He leaned closer to the mirror as ice blue eyes shone with satisfaction as he touched his jet black, spiked up hair, then he stood back, liking what he saw :

He looked a lot like his Dad back in the old days, when he was slim and younger. Cain has Oswald's sharp features and Molly's cheekbones. And he was ready to enjoy the party. As Luna entered the room, she looked at him in annoyance.

“Okay Cain, I have your stupid plan all ready!”

Cain turned from the mirror, smiling at his sister.

“You know what to do, you won't forget?”

She held up the fishing rod with mistletoe attached to the end of it.

“I stand by the balcony, and when you see a hot girl, I reel it down. But I'm not doing this all night, I want to enjoy the party!”

“Just do it for twenty minutes, please?”

She rolled her eyes.

“Okay, Cain. But then you're on your own!”

A short while later, the party was started. Oswald was in the front room, with a drink in his hand as he chatted to underworld colleagues. Molly had just finished a video call to her Dad in Ireland – Kane was staying home this year, but at Easter, they would be flying out to visit for two weeks. The younger kids were jumping about to the Christmas music as Little Penguin stole some tinsel off the tree and started to wave it about as Maria laughed. Lucy and Felix were in the dining room with Julian, grabbing some food from the buffet. Josh and Selina were watching the kids as they sat together, enjoying a drink.

And Jax Sterling had just turned up with Carol, and they went straight to the front room to say hi to Oswald, then Carol walked back into the hallway, where she stood with a drink in her hand as she waited for Jax to finish speaking to his boss.

A little further up the hallway, above on the next level, Luna stood by the balcony with the fishing rod, and as Cain spotted a young woman standing beside her mother – an under world gang leader – he looked up at Luna, indicating to the teenage girl in the green party dress. Luna repositioned the rod and the mistletoe went down, hanging just above her head.

Cain made his move.

“Hello, I'm Cain Cobblepot -” he began, but the girl had just said something to her mother, and they walked off towards the buffet.

Cain gave a sigh and looked up again, making a winding motion with his finger. Luna tried to reel it in, and it got stuck, then she tried again and the mistletoe went back up once more.

“Is it too much to ask, to meet a hot girl for Christmas?” Cain complained, then he walked off, deciding to grab a drink.

In the front room, Oswald had just noticed Jax looked tired, he had been looking tired a lot lately - and he had stepped away from his circle of underworld colleagues and led Jax to his study, where he closed the door, shutting out the sound of the party to allow for privacy.

“You wanted to talk to me about something, sir?” asked Jax.

Oswald leaned against his desk, paused to sip his drink and then looked intently at Jax.

“You look sick, I'm guessing I should know why? It's been five years. I kept hoping your luck would hold out, but perhaps that's not the case.”

Jax nodded sadly.

“I was hoping to tell you after the holiday season, Oswald. But yes, you're right. The toxin has become active. I start treatment in January.”

There was a flicker of sorrow in his eyes, then Oswald remained positive, knowing it was all he could do to help his close friend.

“And you will get through this,” he reminded him.

“I have my job and my family, and my Carol... I mean, Carol,” Jax added, then he stopped, feeling at once as if too much had been said.

“No, sorry - I didn't mean like that - no one could replace April.”

Oswald had noticed he and Carol got along so well, and clearly, there was fondness between them. It was in every look, every small gesture. And in light of the fact that Jax was so sick now, it seemed pointless of him to waste time. Oswald hoped what he said would change that as he put his glass on the desk and stepped closer to Jax.

“Today I found out my knee has vastly improved.”

Jax stared at him.

“But Oswald, that's not possible!”

“All things are possible,” Oswald reminded him, “Life can change in a split second, and sometimes, it can change in wonderful ways.”

He put a hand on his shoulder.

“And just because your health is struggling, it doesn't mean you won't beat this thing! And April has been gone for five years, Jax. If you care about Carol, you should let her know that. You have been mourning April's loss for long enough. Before I met Molly, I knew the pain of loneliness and I will never forget how that felt. You don't have to be lonely, you just need to follow your heart. If you need my blessing, you have it!”

Jax shook his head.

“Oswald, I'm sick. I could die from this, what's the point -”

“There's every reason to do this! You still have a life, you could have a future – don't deny yourself happiness, my friend!”

As Oswald smiled, so did Jax, feeling more confident as he saw the sparkle in Oswald's eyes.

“Life doesn't come with a guarantee Jax,” Oswald reminded him, “We have to live for today. No one knows what the future holds, and it may not be as bleak as you think. Go to Carol. Tell her how you feel.”

In the dining room, Little Penguin had climbed on to the table, and as he sat down and reached with his flippers, pulling a plate of sliced meat towards him, Maria stood at the table, looking about the room – but the grown ups were busy talking, some had left to get drinks. And the kids were running about not caring who sat on the table and ate the food...

“Penguin, you should get down,” she told him, “No sitting on the table. It's not allowed!”

Little Penguin grabbed a flipper full of meat slices then handed one to Maria, who giggled then started to eat. Penguin finished the slices in his hand, then his flippers both dived into a tray of sandwiches.

“Oh no, that's not allowed!” said Josh, as he leaned over and lifted Little Penguin from the table as his eyes went wide and his flippers clung on to sandwiches.

“You sit at the table, or with the other kids if you want to eat,” Josh reminded him.

Selina laughed as she looked at her daughter, and Maria got up from the table and joined her.

“I like Penguin, but he is a naughty boy!”

“He doesn't know he's doing wrong,” she replied fondly, watching as he waddled out of the room with sandwiches in both flippers, heading for the kitchen where Penguin was cooking up more treats before he joined the party. Just then Iris came in, she looked about the room, then to Josh and Selina.

“Where's Little Penguin?”

“I think he went to the kitchen,” said Josh, and she thanked him and left the room, in search of her playful, lively little boy who was always up to mischief.

Edward the bulldog had a small bauble attached to his collar. He trotted through the house, went up the stairs and then found his way into Luna's room, where he curled up on her soft carpet, giving a sigh, contented to be away from the noisy humans in a warm and cosy room. He had already gone around the house twice eating dropped food and now he was ready for a nap. Luna had seen him go in, and she smiled and set down the fishing rod, going off to make a fuss of him before she joined the party once more. And she had not noticed as she had carefully placed the rod against the balcony, that the reel had slipped a little, and the mistletoe had just plunged all the way down to the next floor, where it now hung above Carol and Jax. They had not noticed either as they carried on talking...

Molly had just returned from the kitchen, and she still had a smile on her face from finding Little Penguin sitting under the kitchen table with a plate of mince pies.

“Are these for the party?” she had asked.

Little Penguin shook his head as he reached for another mince pie.

“No - all for Penguin!”

As Penguin Junior said that, Penguin had chuckled and said in a gruff voice, “It's okay, I'll make some more – he's like me, he loves to eat!”

Molly didn't doubt that later, Penguin Junior would be on his back, with his flippers up as he fell asleep, still surrounded by food. And later still that night, Penguin would probably be the same, on the sofa, snoring loudly in the front room.

As Molly left the kitchen and headed back to join the guests, a knock sounded at the front door and she hurried to open it, assuming a guest had arrived late. She opened the door and stared at the stranger, who stood there with a bottle of champagne in his hand.

“Merry Christmas,” he said, “Is Mr Cobblepot home?”

Molly froze, going cold as if ice had just shot through her blood as she stared in horror:

_Jeremiah. _

_She hadn't thought about him for five years and here he was, young again, very much alive... He wasn't a hallucination or a ghost - the brightly lit porch cast his shadow clearly..._

She drew in a breath and for a moment, couldn't get enough air. Josh had just left the dining room, and she managed to say his name as she looked back. He turned his head saw the look on her face, caught a glimpse of the man on the doorstep, and felt a flicker of alarm.

“Oswald!” he called, as Oswald headed for the dining room, “Come here, please sir....”

Oswald limped over quickly, and as Josh said, _There's a guy at the door. Looks like Velaska, _Oswald's eyes fired up with anger.

“Who ever this is, it's _not_ him! He's dead!” he said firmly, then he limped off towards the open front door, passing Molly, who stepped back as her face paled.

“I'll handle this,” Oswald said quickly, and he stood on the doorstep as Josh joined him, he was off duty tonight but there were plenty of armed guards around here. Velaska would be a dead man if he tried anything..._Velaska? _Josh held that thought for a moment. _No, it couldn't be. This was a young guy no older then twenty, and Jeremiah had been dead five years..._

“Who the hell are you and what do you want?” Oswald demanded darkly, “This is a family occasion, and I would like you to leave with minimal fuss. Or I can call security.”

The young man at the door in the light coloured suit with neatly combed red hair looked back at him politely.

“I realise my appearance might stir unwanted memories. I'm sorry about that, I can't help my face!” he laughed nervously, then stopped abruptly as Oswald glared back at him.

“My name is Anton Velaska,” he said, “I'm Jeremiah's son. Not that I saw much of him as I was growing up. My mom took me away from the city. I don't blame her. And I can't make up for the sins of my father. But I would like to extend the hand of friendship. I'm also looking for a job and I wondered if I might have the honour of working for you, sir – if you would consider it. A good start would be to invite me in, allow me to prove to you that not all us Velaskas are despicable creatures.”

Josh turned away, catching Molly's eye as he saw the look on her face:

_Yes, he knew what the answer would be..._

Oswald spoke up at once.

“The best thing you can do is turn your back and walk away before I call security. And by the way young man, I will _never_ employ a Velaska! Now get out of my sight and don't come back!”

He stepped back.

“That's an understandable reaction,” he replied, “Sorry to disturb you. Enjoy your party.”

Then he turned away and left, taking his bottle with him.

As Oswald closed the door, Molly breathed a relieved sigh.

“Velaska has a son? For a moment there I actually thought -”

Oswald put his arm around her as they walked back to join the party.

“Velaska's dead,” he reminded her, “Let's not mention that name again, let's just enjoy the party.”

“What was that about?” Selina asked, looking worried as she stood there in a black sequin dress that hugged her curves.

“It was nothing,” Josh told her, “Just an uninvited guest, Oswald turned him away,” he leaned in and kissed her cheek, “Let's get back to the party. Little Penguin just ran in from the kitchen with a plate of mince pies and he's sharing them with Maria and Lucy!”

“Is it a big plate?”

“Of course it is!” Josh replied as Selina laughed.

Up the other end of the downstairs hallway, Carol and Jax stood there unaware of the mistletoe. Luna was unaware of it too, she had forgotten all about the fishing rod and what was tied to the end of it as Fish turned up at last with River and Victor, and she ran over to greet them.

Jax was still talking to Carol. He paused for a moment, then laughed nervously.

“I can't stand here all night babbling on about how much I'm looking forward to spending Christmas day with you and Alicia – I don't doubt she will be tired after the party, I checked on her just now, I looked in the doorway of the front room and she was talking tinsel off the Christmas tree and wrapping it around Little Penguin! He was running around with a big plate of food a short while ago... We should have Alicia's friends over after Christmas, let them play in the snow together.”

“Alicia would like that,” Carol replied.

Jax looked into her eyes, smiling again.

“What I actually wanted to say.. .this isn't easy... But I'm very fond of you, carol. And I know I'm sick and it's going to get worse and we don't know the outcome, but...”

He looked about the hallway, watching as other guests stood about and wandered from room to room, socialising and enjoying the party. Those in love were easy to spot by the way they exchanged glances or held hands, but this was so difficult, he needed something to move this conversation along... and then, after looking left and right, he happened to look up, and as he looked up, so did Carol.

“Oh,” she said as she laughed, “Mistletoe!”

“Perfect!” Jax replied warmly, “Merry Christmas, Carol.”

And he stepped closer as surprise registered in her eyes, he slid his arm around her pulling her closer and kissed her cheek, then he pulled back a fraction, looking into her eyes.

“I love you,” he added softly.

“I love you too, Jax!” Carol said in surprise.

Then Jax pulled her close and this time as they shared a kiss, it was deep and tender and neither wanted to let go.

Just then, Julian hurried out of the front room.

“_Penguin, get back here, that belongs on the tree!”_ he called out, and Jax and Carol broke off from their kiss in time to see Little Penguin waddle fast up the hallway, wrapped in tinsel as he waved baubles in his flippers.

“_Penguin is a Christmas tree!”_ he yelled, then he laughed as he waddled into the dining room as Julian hurried after him.

Jax looked fondly at Carol as they stood together, still embracing.

“We'll stay for another hour and then go home,” he told her, “Alicia will be tired by then, and you and I have a lot of lost time to make up for. I've been thinking about us for years.”

“So have I,” Carol told him, and Jax pulled her closer as they shared another kiss.

Next morning as snow fell softly outside, while the kids were still sleeping, Molly woke up warm between Oswald and Julian, who were yet to wake. She looked from her husband to her lover as she started to smile, recalling the events of last night:

The party had been great.

Oswald had been overjoyed to see Jax and Carol embracing under mistletoe as they shared a deep and lasting kiss. They had left an hour later, along with tired Alicia, and with one glance at Carol and Jax, it was clear they could not wait to get home. They had left hand in hand as they headed for the car.

Josh and Selina had stayed until the end, with Josh carrying sleepy Maria to the car. In the morning, Ivy would be joining them. She spent Christmas Eve with her plant kindred, and Christmas day with her human family. 

Lucy and Felix had gone to bed just before eleven, Luna had stayed up until midnight and Oswald had found Cain just after one am, mingling outside with the last of the guests, as an irate boyfriend of the daughter of a gang leader gave him a shove and said, _ Hands off my girl!  _

“Sorry, I didn't know you were together!” Cain protested, then he looked to the girl in the green dress, “I just wanted your phone number,” he added as she shook her head and looked away. Oswald had stepped in, casting the boyfriend an icy look as he said, _Cain, it's time to come in..._

Penguin and Iris and Little Penguin had slept over at the mansion, and would be spending Christmas day there, and then Christmas evening with Josh and Selina and Ivy, and Maria would be thrilled to see her best friend again. As she wondered what antics Little Penguin would get up to at Josh and Selina's place, Molly laughed softly. Then Julian stirred and shifted closer to her and she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek before turning over, resting her head on Oswald's chest as he breathed slow and even, still in a deep sleep.

Over at Jax Sterling's house, Alicia was fast asleep in bed and yet to wake and run downstairs excitedly to see what Santa had left under the Christmas tree. And behind the closed door of the main bedroom, as Carol woke warm in bed with his arm around her, Jax was already awake, lying beside her with the thick covers pulled up to keep out the chill of morning.

“Good morning Carol,” he said softly, “Merry Christmas to you, dear.”

Last night had seemed like a dream. But it wasn't. She was really here, with Jax and last night had been wonderful...

“Merry Christmas to you too, Jax,” she said with a smile.

Jax stayed silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts as he held her.

“I know this is a new start for us,” he said, “But if it doesn't work out, if I'm not what you expected, at least you may not have to be stuck with me for long!” and he laughed softly, making a joke of his desperate situation.

“Don't say that,” Carol told him as she ran her fingers through his hair, “You're going to get well, Jax. And we are going to be happy together.”

“We can certainly hope for that,” Jax agreed, “But let's just make the most of now, Carol. I don't want to plan for the future, I don't know how much future I have. I just want us to live each day and make the most of now.”

“And that's the best way to be,” she agreed, as he pulled her closer and kissed her softly.

Back at the mansion, Julian had briefly woken up then shifted close to Molly once more, and then he had gone back to sleep again. Oswald was still sleeping soundly. Molly brushed a strand of dark hair from his eyes as she fondly kissed his cheek, then she lay there between the two men she loved as she waited for Christmas morning to start. She thought back again to last night, and how Felix had woken up as sleepy Little Penguin had been put on the guest bed placed in the corner of his room. Felix had sat up at looked at Penguin, who was sleeping with his flippers up in the air the from moment he rested against his pillow as his father put him to bed.

“Does he have to share my room?” Felix had complained, “He snores _and_ he farts!”

“So do I!” Penguin said with a chuckle, “But Iris never complains!” and then he placed the covers over his sleeping son, left the room and turned out the light.

Molly had been last to go to bed last night, and she couldn't wait for the kids to wake and hurry downstairs to open their presents. Just for a brief moment, her smile faded as she lay there and Oswald and Julian slept on. Her thoughts had turned to their unwanted visitor last night:

_ No, Valeska wasn't back from the dead. _

But he did have a son who looked just like him and even though that guy had seemed totally harmless, one look at him had given Molly chills. She didn't know why.

_ Maybe it was just her imagination. _

_ Or maybe not.  _

_ Maybe, he was a threat – like father, like son... _

She cast aside those thoughts, remembering it was Christmas morning, and as Oswald woke she kissed him softly, feeling Julian's arm slide around her as he cuddled up on the other side of the bed. Molly didn't want to think about the name Valeska, partly because she didn't want to look back, and partly out of fear that too much thought on the past could summon a shadow back to haunt their lives. 

And still it lingered, that fear of the unknown - and perhaps it always would, like an echo from the past, or a ghost flitting through the wall. But for now life was good, and she hoped it would stay that way, with the door to the past firmly nailed shut, keeping them all safe as they went on with life.

_ Maybe that was all it took to banish the bad memories. _

_ Or maybe not, maybe there was more to come.  _

_ All she could do was hope no more danger would shadow their lives. _

_ No one knew what the future held, only time would tell, and for now, life was just fine... _

_ She wanted it to stay that way. _

End 

**Thank you for reading and commenting and enjoying this fic that is turning into a BIG saga!**

**I will be back in 2020 with His Irish Angel Part Seven!**


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